Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour, once the go-to drink for hardened P.I.s and washed-up boxers, has been largely forgotten in the current cocktail renaissance. It’s not as showy as a Sazerac, not as straightforward as an Old Fashioned—it just tastes really good. Technically a sour is any spirit with lemon and sugar added, but when whiskey is the spirit in question, the burn one expects is replaced by some citrus tang—not a bad trade, really. (Still, the South American Pisco Sour is the only other sour we’d endorse.) If you want to make it sweeter, and double the cost of making it, use bourbon. Above all, use fresh lemon juice. As for the egg white, it will make the drink nice and frothy, so if you’re a nice and frothy type you may as well throw a cherry and orange slice in, too.

Shake with ice and strain into glass.
Garnish with a cherry and an orange or lemon slice.