The New York Sour. Photo by Emily Giancarlo
RECIPE BY JAKE SULEK, THE PROFESSORS, LLC
The earliest “sour” recipes appeared in 1862, in the first-ever published cocktail book, “The Bar-Tender’s Guide” by the “Professor” Jerry Thomas. (The recipe in the original edition didn’t call for whiskey, suggesting instead gin, rum or other spirits.) The building block for all citrus-based drinks, including the Fizz, Collins, Daisy (margarita) and daiquiri, sours are made with four ingredients: sugar, citrus, spirit (alcohol) and ice. Understanding the ratio of sweet to sour to spirit is essential to making these cocktails great.
In the 1880s, Chicago bartenders created a new sour finished with a “claret snap,” meaning they prepared a whiskey sour and floated red wine (claret) on top. The Chicago Tribune observed in 1883 that the red wine created a “pleasant-looking, red-headed drink.” Although this sour went by many names over the years (Continental Sour, Southern Sour, Brunswick Sour, etc. ), it is known most commonly today as the New York Sour.
The traditional 1880s New York Sour is served “up” (in a chilled coupe with no ice cubes) and uses freshly squeezed lemon juice to ensure the correct level of acidity. When you want to enjoy an authentic New York Sour like they drank in the late 1880s, then make certain to order it correctly: up, with no egg white.
Ingredients:
• 1/2 ounce 2:1 sugar syrup (see additional note below)
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice (about half of a squeezed lemon)
• 2 ounces rye whiskey (or bourbon, in a pinch)
• 1/2 ounce red wine (for the float garnish)
Method:
Add sugar syrup, lemon juice and rye whiskey to shaker tin. Fill the tins with ice cubes and shake hard for about 12 seconds or until the tins are too cold to hold. Double strain into a coupe, Nick & Nora, or other cocktail glass. Float a half ounce of red wine on top.
To float the red wine, position the bowl of the spoon against the inner edge of the glass and slowly pour the wine into the spoon’s bowl; the density difference between the wine and cocktail will help the wine to float. Steady hands (and lots of practice) help, as well.
Additional Note:
A 2:1 sugar syrup can be prepared by adding two cups sugar to one cup water in a jar and shaking until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is liquified.
Professional cocktail enthusiast Jake Sulek delicately floats the red wine (claret) atop the classic whiskey cocktail New York Sour. Photo by Emily Giancarlo