Pumpkin spice whiskey sour (pumpkin spice cocktail)

This pumpkin spice whiskey sour is the pumpkin spice cocktail you've been searching for! It's easy to make, with a wonderful balance of warm spices and tart lemon. A warm, fall twist on a classic.

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As a Scot, I grew to appreciate Scottish whisky even if, in all honesty, it wasn't something I could drink that often. My husband, meanwhile, has made it his drink of choice. What we do both agree on, however, is that it's worth getting a good one and drinking it straight. 

Bourbon, on the other hand, is not something I really had at all. True some friends would have a Jack and coke, but given I have never liked coke, that was never going to be a drink I'd be drawn to. 

As I have grown to enjoy cocktails more, I discovered sours which are definitely my kind of cocktail. I'm a big citrus fan (in case you couldn't tell with things like French lemon yogurt cake, mint lemonade etc). I also sometimes struggle with cocktails that are very sweet, so the more tart flavor profile is perfect.

Recently, whiskey sours and caipirinhas (which are similar) have become favorites. And since I've only shared my cranberry whiskey sour so far, it was about time to share another. Having recently made a pumpkin spice syrup, I knew it needed to be put to use in cocktails, and this was a great place to start.

What is a whiskey sour?

Sours are a group of cocktails made with a base spirit, citrus (usually lemon, but can be lime or others) and sugar. They've been around a long time and come in many different forms.

Whiskey sours are probably the most common, but you can use other spirits as the base like gin, rum or amaretto. Technically, drinks like margaritas are sours as well, and sours are a style that's easy to play around with the components.

As I said above, one of the things I like is that they are not too sweet. Typically, sours are two parts spirit, one part lemon juice and half part simple syrup.

Do you need egg white in a sour?

Sours often include egg white to give a frothy top. With whiskey, this is sometimes called a Boston sour. A pisco sour is another famous variation made with egg white. 

While you don't need the egg white from a flavor perspective - and in fact you don't taste it as you may be glad to know - it does help bring it together. The egg white helps emulsify the other ingredients and also adds a nice frothy top.

If you want to make it vegan, you can use aquafaba instead of egg white. And you can certainly make this drink without it as well. Though in this pumpkin spice cocktail, I can't help but think it looks a little latte-like, don't you think?

Anyway, once you have your pumpkin spice syrup made ahead, this cocktail is incredibly quick and easy to make. The spice flavors are subtle, but definitely come through, and pair really well with a good quality bourbon. 

This pumpkin spice whiskey sour is an easy and well-balanced cocktail that is perfect for cooler weather. It has a great balance of gently spiced flavor with that tart edge, and naturally a bit of a bourbon kick as well. Great fireside sipping, or however you wish to enjoy.

Try these other seasonal cocktails:

• "Falling for orange" pumpkin amaro cocktail
• Spiked mulled apple cider
• Pomegranate mojito
• Calvados sour (apple brandy sour)
• Pumpkin spice old fashioned (another great way to use the spiced syrup)
• Plus get more cocktail recipes in the archives.

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