Complex and smooth, the Scotch Sour is a tasty beverage with a satisfying bite.
The following incident has been mentioned before in some of my musings here at Twist & Toast, but I think today, more of the story shall be spilled, and the reason why you’re about to be told said tale.
Today’s cocktail is the complex, smooth and charming Scotch Sour, made of course with Scotch whisky, lemon juice and simple syrup, topped with a foamy, frothy cap courtesy of egg white.
Now, this story is important to today’s recipe, as it directly involves what we call the “dry shake”, which is shaking all of your cocktail’s ingredients together without ice, to emulsify and fluff up the egg white. Then you add ice and shake to chill your concoction. Before that, though, you dry shake for only fifteen seconds. I’ll spell that another way for emphasis… ONLY 15 SECONDS.
I was prepping a Gin Fizz, and was in the dry shake phase. I went on for more than twenty seconds, as I wound up spacing out and not paying attention. Suddenly, the contents of my shaker exploded outward, as if some immense pressure or gas had built up inside and needed to escape. Which it did. All over me, my face and the kitchen. If my girlfriend were home, it would have been much, much worse.
Why did it explode? I’m not Mr. Wizard, so just take my word for it and don’t dry shake for longer than fifteen seconds.
What is the best Scotch to use in a Scotch Sour?
I’ve personally found that the more money I spend on Scotch, the better it tastes and smoother it goes down. I used to think that I didn’t like Scotch, but I do. What I don’t like is bad Scotch. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money or buy a spirit you can’t afford. On the contrary, there are some wonderful, cost-friendly options I’ve discovered for myself recently, like Chivas Regal and Glenlivet, for example. If I do feel like splashing out, however, Macallan 12 is my favorite at the moment.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Scotch whisky
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce egg white
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Orange twist for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Scotch whisky, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, and Angostura bitters.
- Dry shake the ingredients (without ice) for about 15 seconds to help emulsify the egg white. Then add ice and shake for another 15 seconds until the mixture is well chilled.
- Fine strain the cocktail into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice. Express an orange twist over the drink to release its oils and garnish with the twist.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
A rocks glass, filled with ice and garnished with an orange peel, is the proper way to imbibe a Scotch Sour. Express the oils from the citrus peel before settling the twist on top of your cocktail.
Is egg white required?
You can make this drink without the egg white and still have a satisfying beverage to sip on. The frothy top adds such a smooth and silky texture to every sip that you should make a few with the egg white just to see what you’d be missing.
Other sour cocktails worth trying
Sours are some of the absolute tastiest and strongest mixed drinks you can have. There’s a reason that there seems to be a sour for every spirit, and each one is just as delicious as any of its boozy relatives. Want a few for yourself to try out tonight or over the weekend? Check out some of these recipes right here at Twist & Toast.
- Rum Sour – Have a tipple that’s tart, crisp and bold.
- Amaretto Sour – This concoction is smooth, nutty and smoky.
- Maracuyá Sour – Passionfruit and pisco make for lovely and delectable partners.
- Whiskey Sour – One of the most popular sours in the cocktail world.
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