The whisky sour is frequently poo-pooed by mixologists, but never by bartenders. I think it is high time to bring it back. Suited for mornings as well as afternoons, it’s an exquisite choice if you care to indulge in some early daylight drinking. When you manage to get the proportions just right, the trick to all drinks, it truly becomes more than the sum of its parts, a happy liquid escapade for your mouth. Think  good Canadian whisky or rye, lime juice, sugar and in complete defiance of death, an egg white. That’s right, raw egg white. I find it amusing that some people treat using egg whites in a cocktail as the equivalent of playing Russian roulette. I have no such fear. Bring. It. On. As per usual I’m not claiming this recipe is either a canonical or original version, but just try it, I’ll wager you’ll like it. A lot.

My whisky sour

• 2.5 ounces of Canadian whisky or rye or why not bourbon?
• 1.25 ounce of lime juice (most recipes call for lemon, but I like it limey)
• 0.75 ounce of simple syrup, you must play with this variable according to how sweet the whisky is, it’s where this drink comes together
• One egg white, if you double the recipe, double the whites as well, this is non negotiable

One of the highlights of this drink, besides pushing back the darkness as I call it, is the meringue like foam that will crown your cocktail much like snow on Mount Fuji, but more delicious. There’s a secret to achieving this that I will gladly share with you, no occult initiation or handshake necessary. I can’t remember where I learned it, called a dry shake, it’s when you pour all of the ingredients into your shaker and you mix them without the ice. For optimum foam you need to shake it like the dickens for a good amount of time, let’s say a minimum of 13 steamboats, and no lazy shake either, it’s time to break out the hardcore jiggle-jiggle. Only then can you add the ice and give it another hearty shake , until the tin is almost too cold to hold basically. I usually don’t garnish this drink, but a wheel of lime or maybe a single cherry would be acceptable, don’t turn your drinks into fruit salads. I like to serve it in a martini glass but a coupe would be nicer, it’s just that I don’t have any, and contrary to some people (philistines) I always serve it up and never ever on the rocks, but that’s just me. Remember drinkskultur rule #1.

I really don’t have a good origin story for the whisky sour. For sure it’s an old drink, mid 19th century newspapers already mention it, but I do have a Hemingway related anecdote, of course I would. According to Harry, whose bar we like to frequent when in Paris, Hemingway could have 20 of them in one sitting at his establishment and then go home and write. I have very serious misgivings about this, you know, from a  staying alive perspective. It sounds like a bro story to me, either that, or those were some weak ass whisky sours.

Sidebar: much has been made of Hemingway’s writing while drunk, in fact there’s a famous quote attributed to him on the matter: “Write drunk, edit sober.” Well he never said that, yes the internet fooled us all. In fact, in a 1935 letter he shares his views about booze and the role it plays in his life, here’s what he has to say: “The only time it isn’t good for you is when you write or when you fight. You have to do that cold. But it always helps my shooting.” So ixnay on tipsy writing, but a green light on firearms and cocktails. Good to know.

Interestingly, perhaps because of the egg component, the whisky sour seems to have had some association with that hallowed tradition of pre-noon drinking. In the Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe, one of the protagonists admits in passing to having had two (and a peanut butter sandwich) for his morning meal. In the real world, author and critic Dorothy Parker also enjoyed them for breakfast (and during the rest of the day), so if you go that route you are in good company, at least a very witty one.

So please, particularly  if it is before noon, go ahead and fix yourself a whisky sour. Pour it into a pretty, well chilled glass, pat yourself on the back for making good life choices and enjoy. You might have to use your fingers to finish off the creamy foam, don’t hesitate, it’s the best part.

Talk to you soon.