This drink first appeared in our feature on Cocktail Families: Sours.
The head of the Sour family, dating back to the mid-19th century, and a minimalist development of the punch which was the dominant mixed drink 100 years earlier. Ice’s arrival in the mainstream around the same time may have encouraged bartenders to up the citrus element, as the sour element could now be incorporated with its sharp edges smoothed off. Jerry Thomas’s 1862 recipe calls for:
60ml Rye whiskey (or other American whiskey)
15ml Lemon juice
15ml Sugar syrup
Shake all the ingredients over ice and strain into a chilled Sour glass (you can use a small wine glass or goblet if you haven’t got the real thing). Some people add a bit of body with some raw egg white, but it isn’t a crime against drinking to leave it out.
