Apple whiskey sour

This apple whiskey sour is a tasty autumnal twist on the classic cocktail. It's easy to make, a lovely balance of sweet and tart flavors and perfect for so many occasions.

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Sours are definitely one of my favorite types of cocktail. I was late to the cocktail game as I was never a huge fan of sweet drinks so many on face value just didn't appeal. But then I discovered things like sours and mojitos, and my view changed.

For me, citrus, fruity and herbal all have their place in cocktails so that you can taste the spirits, the additions and not just pure alcohol and/or sweetness. This drink is more of a long drink than your average sour but has all that classic balance of sweet, tart and spirit flavors.

What is a sour cocktail?

Sours are a family of cocktails that come in many forms, but they have a few key elements:

• A spirit/liquor base - whiskey is of course one of the best known, but you can also use gin, brandy and less common bases like in my calvados sour or rum sour.
• A 'sour' component, typically citrus juice - many sours are made with lemon, with lime probably the next most popular. 
• A sweetener, typically simple syrup - this helps to balance the flavors of the drink.
• Many also use some bitters in there for a little extra depth of flavor, and egg white for texture.

Some accounts suggest the basic sour style was created based on sailor rations. Lime or lemons were common on board ships as a way to help prevent scurvy. Given many enjoyed a drink, too, it's no big leap the two merged. Another argument is the citrus watered down the spirit to save the sailors drinking too much too fast.

These days, variations on the sour theme are a core to most bar cocktail menus, and they are great for making at home, too, since they are easy to make and easy to adapt.

Ingredients in an apple whiskey sour

This variation on the theme is essentially a classic whiskey sour with added apple cider (cloudy apple juice). You only need a few ingredients:

• Whiskey - the spirit base here is whiskey - I'd generally suggest bourbon, though a rye could also work, it will just give a slightly different flavor. Other whiskey/whisky could also work, but I'd not go for anything peaty.
• Apple cider - this gives the apple flavor and makes this into a longer drink. Use a good cider, though I recommend not a caramel or spiced version - in the UK this would be called cloudy apple juice.
• Lemon juice - this is the classic "sour" element and one that works well here. 
• Simple syrup - I've used a classic simple syrup, with equal parts sugar and water here, but you could also use a spiced syrup here to give a bit more autumnal flavor. My pumpkin spice syrup would work well for that.
• Angostura bitters - a few drops of bitters adds to the depth of flavor, and aromatic bitters work really well.
• Egg white - while not all sours use egg whites, it's a common choice to add that wonderful smooth mouthfeel to the drink. It takes the drink from flavorful to luscious. If you are nervous about using raw egg white, you can skip it. You can use aquafaba (the chickpea can liquid) as an alternative, though I don't find the texture quite as good.

Tips for making this drink

This is easy to make, but a few tips will help it turn out the best. First, use fresh lemon juice. It's easy to squeeze a lemon and the flavor is definitely better with freshly squeezed juice. 

Secondly, double shake the cocktail, first dry (ie without ice) and then secondly a wet shake (with ice). This helps to build the texture of the foaminess, then cools it down without over-diluting.

Finally, double straining helps reduce large bubbles which makes the foam extra smooth. It also saves any little pieces of ice or anything else getting through the shaker's strainer. For a small amount of extra effort, it's worth doing.

If you don't have a cocktail shaker, then it's probably best to skip the egg white. You can try shaking the ingredients in a jar, but I don't find you get quite the same smooth texture in the end drink. (Plus, cocktail shakers are handy for lots of cocktails, so you may find many more uses for it!) 

This apple whiskey sour is a lovely balance of tart, sweet, fruity and whiskey flavors. It's easy but feels elegant and makes a great drink to sip on on an autumnal evening, or whatever excuse you find.

Try these other easy cocktails:

• Mexican carajillo (an easy coffee cocktail)
• Blackberry bourbon smash (a tasty mix of fruit, citrus and a whisky kick)
• Maracuya sour (a fruity passion fruit variation on a pisco sour)
• Sloe gin fizz (easy to make but tastes more complex thanks to the sloe gin's flavor)
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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