Name: New York Sour
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 cocktail
Ingredients: 2 oz Bourbon or Rye whiskey; ¾ oz Fresh lemon juice; ¾ oz Simple syrup; 1 Egg white; ½ oz Dry red wine (Malbec, Shiraz, or Cabernet — for the float); Cherry & orange slice to garnish

Ingredients

2 oz Bourbon or Rye whiskey
¾ oz Fresh lemon juice
¾ oz Simple syrup
1 Egg white
½ oz Dry red wine (Malbec, Shiraz, or Cabernet — for the float)
Cherry & orange slice to garnish

Method

1

Dry shakeAdd bourbon, lemon, simple syrup, and egg white to a shaker WITHOUT ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
2

Add ice, shake againAdd ice and shake again vigorously for 10 seconds.
3

Strain into glassStrain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4

Float the red winePour the red wine VERY slowly over the back of a bar spoon so it floats on the foam surface without sinking. The wine is lighter than the egg white foam and should float cleanly.
5

GarnishAdd a cherry and orange slice. The two-tone effect — cream foam on the bottom, dark wine on top — should be dramatic.

The Wine Float Technique

The New York Sour dates to the 1880s in Chicago (where it was first called the Continental Sour), though the 'New York' name came later. It's a Whiskey Sour with a dramatic red wine float — a technique that requires patience and a steady hand but produces one of the most visually striking drinks in the cocktail canon.

The float works because wine is lighter than the egg white foam below it. Pour too fast or from too high and the wine sinks and mixes. Pour slowly over the back of a bar spoon and it sits as a distinct layer. Choose a dry, medium-bodied red — not too tannic (which fights the sweetness) and not too light (which disappears).

Variations

🌾 Rye New York Sour

Use rye whiskey instead of bourbon. The pepper and spice of rye is a more assertive partner for the wine's tannin.

🍷 Rosé Float

Use a full-bodied dry rosé instead of red wine for a pink float. More delicate and slightly less dramatic, but beautiful.

🍇 Port Float

Replace the wine float with a tawny port. Sweeter, richer, and the nutty port notes work unexpectedly well with the lemon sour.

🍷 New York Sour

The Wine Float Technique

🌾 Rye New York Sour

🍷 Rosé Float

🍇 Port Float