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Cocktail History
The New York Sour is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created in the 1880s by a bartender in Chicago, Illinois. Most famous for its colorful layers, the recipe is a simple variation of the classic Whiskey Sour that calls for whiskey, lemon, simple syrup, and a red wine float. The drink has gone by many names over the years, starting out as the Continental Sour then Southern Whiskey Sour, Claret Snap, and Brunswick Sour before it was officially named after the City That Never Sleeps, likely after a Manhattan bartender made it popular in the 1900s.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, grains, malted barley, and water. We used Knob Creek 9 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon because it’s rich and full bodied with notes of smooth vanilla and caramel. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Dry Red Wine: This is a type of wine made with red grapes. We used Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Shiraz because it’s a dry, full-bodied red wine that’s aged in oak, which complements the aged whiskey well. For a mocktail version of this drink, try YOURS Non-Alcoholic Wine California Red Blend in place of the wine.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Tasting Notes
The New York Sour starts with acidic aromas of dry red wine and has a taste that mostly features the classic whiskey-laced lemony sweetness of a sour with the added tannins and dry grape flavors of red wine mixed in.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We rarely find a layered drink we like, but we both thought the wine mixed really well with the rest of the formula while we sipped it and that it gives an extra fruitiness to the mix. The sheer variety of red wines out there give the New York Sour thousands of possible variations too, which adds even further to its wonder.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I’ve always loved the New York Sour, and I probably order it more often than the classic Whiskey Sour on which it’s based. The dry quality of the red wine adds a lot to the profile of the cocktail, in my opinion, giving it a slight puckering quality that offsets the general sweetness of the whiskey well. And for what aesthetic is worth, its gradient color is always a showstopper in a bar. The New York Sour really has the fajita effect in that whenever one walks past a table, the patrons there will usually say, ‘Ooooh, I’ll have whatever that is.'”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Because of my previous experiences tasting layered drinks, I’m usually pretty skeptical that they’ll be balanced without having to mix up the ingredients and ruin the layering altogether. I can see why this recipe became a classic though. The initial taste of whiskey followed by the aftertaste and mouthfeel of the red wine is a fascinating combination with its spice rounded out by fruitiness, and they don’t need to be mixed at all. I would drink this again!”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Carefully float red wine on top with a bar spoon.
Ingredients
Directions
Add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
Carefully float red wine on top with a bar spoon.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Spiritless Kentucky 74 Non-Alcoholic Bourbon Whiskey in place of the whiskey and YOURS Non-Alcoholic Wine California Red Blend in place of the wine to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Wine Cocktails
If you like this wine-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Minute To Midnight: A brandy cocktail made with pear liqueur, Angostura aromatic bitters, dry sparkling wine, and a lemon twist
Enchantress: A brandy cocktail made with ruby port wine, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and a lemon peel
Mountaintop Meadow: A vodka cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, lavender bitters, dry sparkling wine, a pineapple wedge, and mint
Coronation: A sherry cocktail made with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, orange bitters, and an orange peel
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