The New York Sour recipe
with a layer of red wine
Fill an Old Fashioned glass with fresh ice cubes so it is cold when the cocktail goes in.
Pour the whiskey, lemon juice, and sugar syrup into a shaker and add a few drops of egg white.
Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds, so the egg white creates a thin layer of foam.
Strain the cocktail over the ice in the glass.
Slowly pour the red wine over the rounded side of a bar spoon, just above the surface, so it floats on top as a layer.
Garnish with a lemon or orange zest and a cocktail cherry.
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The story
Despite its name, the New York Sour is traditionally said to have originated in Chicago, where a bartender in the 1880s is said to have added a splash of red wine to his Whiskey Sour. Who that was is unknown. The drink then circulated under various names, including Continental Sour and Southern Whiskey Sour. How it got the name New York cannot be said with certainty; the usual explanation is that it became particularly well known in New York bars. The combination was not unusual, in any case: claret, the English name for red Bordeaux, was widely used in punches and cobblers in the nineteenth century. Today, the New York Sour appears on the official IBA list, where both rye and bourbon are permitted.
The right glass
The IBA calls for a chilled rocks glass filled with ice: we call that an old fashioned glass. Choose one holding 32 to 43 cl with a wide opening, because the red wine needs surface area to form a visible layer. In a narrow glass, that layer becomes thick and sinks faster. A heavy base keeps the glass stable while you pour the wine over the bar spoon. You can find them in our old fashioned glasses collection.
Stölzle Lausitz Kyoto Tumbler 43 cl (6 pieces)
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
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The right tools
For a New York Sour, besides the glass, you need a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus press. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 157,70.
Variations & twists
The IBA calls for only a few drops of egg white, so the foam remains thin. If you want a full head of foam, use 2 cl of egg white and dry shake for ten seconds first. Without egg white, the drink is clearer and slightly sharper. Straight up in a coupe works too, but the wine sinks faster. The same recipe without wine is the Whiskey Sour; with amaretto as the base, you get the Amaretto Sour, and with pisco and lime, the Pisco Sour.
Servingtip
Choose a wine you would drink yourself too: a full-bodied shiraz or malbec with lots of fruit and little oak. Open the bottle for dinner and use a splash for the cocktails beforehand; pour the rest with the meal.
Good to know
How to make a New York Sour: keeping the wine on top
The layer of wine stays afloat because dry red wine is lighter than the sour beneath it, which is heavier than water because of the simple syrup. The difference is small, so technique matters. Hold a bar spoon with the rounded side facing up just above the surface of the cocktail and let the wine slowly run over it. This spreads it across the width instead of sending it straight down. If you pour too quickly or from too high, the wine will mix in and you'll get a pink drink. It doesn't taste worse, but you miss the visual effect.
Which red wine works best
The IBA mentions shiraz or malbec, and that's a good direction: dry, full of dark fruit and with a deep color. A light pinot noir creates a pale layer that adds little. Avoid wines with a lot of oak, because vanilla and toast clash with the lemon juice. Sweet wines such as port make the drink heavy and sink faster because the sugar makes them denser. You only need 1.5 cl per glass, so a bottle opened yesterday is perfectly fine. Taste the wine on its own first; if you don't like it neat, it won't improve in the cocktail.
Rye or bourbon in a New York Sour
The IBA allows both, and the choice noticeably changes the drink. Rye whiskey is made from at least 51 percent rye and gives a drier, spicier sour with pepper on the finish; that kick works well alongside the tannins in the wine. Bourbon is made from at least 51 percent corn and makes the drink rounder and sweeter, with vanilla and caramel. In either case, choose a bottle around 45 percent ABV, because weaker whiskey disappears beneath the lemon juice and sugar. If you're unsure, start with bourbon and make the next one with rye.
Difference between New York Sour and Whiskey Sour
The base is the same: whiskey, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup, shaken with ice. The difference lies in the 1.5 cl of red wine that you float over the drink at the end. It makes the New York Sour drier and more complex, with tannins and dark fruit to balance the sourness. The classic Whiskey Sour often has a rich foam made with egg white; with the New York Sour, the IBA limits it to a few drops so the wine layer remains visible. If you're looking for the version with Dutch genever, see the Amsterdam Sour.
With or without egg white, plus a vegan version
The egg white is a supporting ingredient in this recipe, not the star: a few drops give the drink a softer texture and a thin white layer for the wine to rest on nicely. If you leave it out, the cocktail will be clearer and slightly sharper, and the wine will still float perfectly well. Always use a fresh egg or pasteurized egg white from a carton. For a vegan version, use a splash of aquafaba, the cooking liquid from chickpeas in a jar. It foams in the same way and you cannot taste it in the finished drink.
New York Sour for a group
For each person, mix 6 cl of whiskey, 3 cl of lemon juice, and 2.25 cl of sugar syrup in advance in a pitcher and chill it. Juice the lemons on the day itself, because the juice loses its freshness after a few hours. Shake two glasses at a time with fresh ice cubes and a few drops of egg white, and pour the wine into each glass only at the end. For convenience, have all the glasses filled with ice ready on a tray. Make sugar syrup yourself by dissolving equal parts sugar and water; see how to make sugar syrup for the exact method.
Frequently asked questions
What is a New York Sour?
A New York Sour is a Whiskey Sour with a layer of dry red wine on top. Shake 6 cl of rye or bourbon with 3 cl of lemon juice, 2.25 cl of sugar syrup, and a few drops of egg white, pour it over ice, and then float 1.5 cl of red wine on top.
Which wine do you use for a New York Sour?
A dry, fruity red wine with a deep color, such as shiraz or malbec; those are the two named by the IBA. Avoid wines with lots of oak or residual sugar. A sweet wine such as port is heavier and sinks through the cocktail more quickly, while the vanilla from the oak clashes with the lemon juice.
Why does the wine keep floating on top?
Because dry red wine is lighter than the cocktail beneath it. The sugar syrup makes the sour heavier than water, while the wine, with its alcohol and little sugar, is slightly lighter. The difference is small, so pour the wine slowly over the rounded side of a bar spoon, just above the surface.
Which glass do you use for a New York Sour?
An Old Fashioned glass of 32 to 43 cl, filled with ice. The IBA calls it a rocks glass. The wide opening gives the wine room to form a thin, visible layer, and the heavy base keeps the glass stable while you pour the wine over the spoon.
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