new era · shaken
New York Sour recipe
A whiskey sour crowned with a float of red wine.
A New York Sour is 60 ml (56.4 g) Bourbon / Rye, 30 ml (30.9 g) Fresh Lemon Juice, 15 ml (16.7 g) Sugar Syrup, 20 ml (20.8 g) Egg White and 15 ml (14.9 g) Red Wine, shaken and served in a rocks (old fashioned) glass. It pours to about 140 ml before ice, at roughly 18.5% ABV. Weighing the ingredients instead of measuring them is what keeps the balance identical from one round to the next.
- Glassrocks (old fashioned) glass
- Methodshaken
- Pour volume140 ml
- Strength (est.)18.5% ABV
- Time5 min
New York Sour ingredients — in millilitres and grams
Grams are what the PourPilot coaster actually targets. They are not the same as the millilitres: a spirit is lighter than water, a syrup is heavier, so 30 ml of one is never 30 g. The right-hand column is the density we use, in grams per millilitre.
| Ingredient | Volume | Weight | g/ml | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon / Rye | 60 ml | 56.4 g | 0.94 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Fresh Lemon Juice | 30 ml | 30.9 g | 1.03 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Sugar Syrup | 15 ml | 16.7 g | 1.11 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Egg White | 20 ml | 20.8 g | 1.04 | Weighed by the coaster |
| Red Wine (float) | 15 ml | 14.9 g | 0.99 | Weighed by the coaster |
How to make a New York Sour
- Set your rocks (old fashioned) glass on the scale (or on the PourPilot coaster) and zero it. Every measurement below is given in millilitres and in grams, so you can use either.
- Add Bourbon / Rye, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar Syrup, Egg White and Red Wine to a shaker with no ice and dry-shake hard for 10 seconds to build the foam.
- Add ice and shake again for 12–15 seconds until the tin is painfully cold.
- Double-strain into a chilled rocks (old fashioned) glass over fresh ice.
New York Sour: the questions people actually ask
How strong is a New York Sour?
Roughly 18.5% ABV as poured, before the ice dilutes it — typically another 15–25% water by the time you finish stirring or shaking. Medium strength. About the same as a fortified wine, poured short.
What glass should a New York Sour be served in?
A rocks (old fashioned) glass. One large, clear cube melts slower than four small ones and keeps the drink from watering out.
Can I make a New York Sour without a jigger?
Yes — that is what the gram column is for. Put the glass or tin on a kitchen scale, zero it, and pour to the weight. It is more accurate than a jigger because nothing is left clinging to the inside of the measure. The PourPilot coaster does the same thing without you having to watch a display: it lights up as you approach the target and tells you when to stop.
If you like the New York Sour
Whisky Sour
Bourbon, lemon, sugar, egg white for foam. Dry shake first.
Paper Plane
Sam Ross's equal-parts modern classic. Sour, bitter, boozy.
John Collins
The whiskey Collins — bourbon, lemon and sugar, topped with soda.
Old Fashioned
The original cocktail. Whiskey, sugar, bitters.
Penicillin
Sam Ross again. Scotch, honey, lemon, ginger. Shake and strain.
Mint Julep
Bourbon and sugar over crushed ice with a mint bouquet.