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    Home » Recipes » cocktails

    New York sour cocktail recipe

    Published: Mar 23, 2023 · Modified: Apr 19, 2023 by Trish Bozeman · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    New York sour cocktail recipe! This gorgeous whiskey cocktail is a variation of the whiskey sour with a red wine float.

    A photo of a new york sour cocktail with an ice cube on top a lemon peel garnish on the side.

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    Hello, Rhubarbarians! I'm excited to share one of the most beautiful whiskey cocktail recipes with you: the New York sour!

    This impressive and stunning cocktail is a fun twist on a whiskey sour with an added red wine float. It's a classic cocktail that any whiskey sour lover should absolutely try.

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this
    • What is a New York sour?
    • Ingredients and equipment
    • Step by step instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Recipe tips and variations
    • FAQs
    • Recipe
    • Comments and reviews

    Why you'll love this

    The New York sour is amazingly balanced with sweetness from the simple syrup and tartness from the lemon juice. The whiskey adds warmth while the red wine adds a depth of flavor that elevates the cocktail.

    More cocktail recipes to try:

    You must use the category slug, not a URL, in the category field.
    A photo of a new york sour with a lemon peel garnish on top.

    What is a New York sour?

    The New York sour, AKA the continental sour or the Southern whiskey sour, is a variation of the whiskey sour, with an added red wine float. The red wine floats atop the whiskey sour to create a gorgeous, two-toned cocktail. It seems to have made it's first appearance in Chicago in the late 1800s, but became very popular in New York soon after. The name was then commonly known as the New York sour.

    Ingredients and equipment

    A photo of the ingredients needed to make a New York sour cocktail.

    Here's everything you need to make the perfect New York sour cocktail at home like a pro. Full ingredient amounts with instructions are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article

    Ingredients:

    • Whiskey, bourbon, or rye. I recommend using a whiskey that you love, as this is the main alcohol in the cocktail. My favorite is Bulleit 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey.
    • Fresh lemon juice
    • Simple syrup. Here's how to make simple syrup at home.
    • Dry red wine. Again, I recommend using a wine that you enjoy drinking. I like to use Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, or Tempranillo.
    • Ice

    Equipment:

    • Cocktail shaker
    • Cocktail jigger or liquid measuring spoons. Here's a decently priced cocktail shaker set you can buy!
    • Low ball cocktail glass. These vintage style cocktail glasses are fabulous!
    • Small spoon

    How do you make simple syrup? To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely.

    Step by step instructions

    Here's a visual guide for making a classic New York sour to impress. Full instructions with ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this article

    • First, make sure you have cooled simple syrup on hand. To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely.
    • Grab a cocktail shaker and a low ball cocktail glass and let's get to it!
    A photo of pouring whiskey into a cocktail shaker.
    • Pour the whiskey into the cocktail shaker.
    • Then add the lemon juice.
    A photo of pouring sour mix into a cocktail shaker.
    • Then add the simple syrup.
    A photo of pouring simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.
    • Fill your cocktail shaker with ice.
    A photo of pouring ice into a cocktail shaker.
    • Shake until the cocktail shaker is very cold.
    A photo of shaking a cocktail shaker.
    • Fill a cocktail glass with ice and pour the shaken cocktail into your glass, leaving some room at the top for the wine.
    A photo of pouring sour mix into a cocktail glass with ice.
    • Drizzle the wine very slowly over the back of a spoon over your cocktail glass. It should "float" close to the top of the cocktail.
    A photo of pouring red wine over a spoon to make a red wine float.
    • Garnish with a lemon peel if desired.
    A photo of a hand placing a lemon peel garnish on top of a new york sour cocktail.
    • Cheers and enjoy!
    a photo of hands cheersing with two new york sour cocktails.

    Serving suggestions

    I recommend serving a New York sour as an impressive, beautiful single cocktail. Make one for yourself, two for you and your partner, or a few for a small gathering. Because this is a shaken cocktail and it has a red wine float, this isn't great for large gatherings or big batches.

    Serve your cocktail cold and over ice without a straw. Sip it from the rim of the glass so that you get red wine in your sip.

    Get fancy and garnish your New York sour with:

    • A lemon peel garnish (as shown in the photos)
    • Bourbon soaked cherries
    • A lemon or lime wedge

    Recipe tips and variations

    • Have your simple syrup made and cooled before making your cocktail.
    • Some recipes include adding one egg white to the shaker to get more of a frothy texture.
    • Swap the simple syrup for once ounce (one Tablespoon) of maple syrup.
    • Rub a piece of lemon peel around the rim of the glass before serving.
    • Try adding a dash of angostura bitters.
    • When serving, don't serve with a straw. You want to sip from the rim of the glass.
    A photo of a hand grabbing a new york sour cocktail with a lemon garnish on top.

    FAQs

    Why is it called a New York sour?

    The answer isn't clear. The New York sour is thought to have originated in Chicago in the 1800s and then named the continental sour. It is assumed that a bartender in New York popularized the cocktail, thus naming it the New York sour.

    What does a New York sour taste like?

    The New York sour cocktail starts off tart and bold with red wine and lemon juice, ending oaky and sweet with whiskey and simple syrup.

    Should I stir a New York sour?

    No. Don't stir the red wine into the cocktail.

    Can you order a New York sour at a bar?

    Of course you can! However, it is laborious to make for a busy bartender. Assess your surroundings and tip well if you do!

    More whiskey cocktails to try:

    • Meyer lemon old fashioned
    • Strawberry and orange bourbon cocktail
    • Apple cider hot toddy
    • Vegan whiskey chai
    • Blackberry old fashioned

    You can find our favorite spring whiskey cocktails here!

    A photo of two new york sour cocktails with lemon peel garnish on top.

    Did you make this recipe? Leave us a review and star rating in the comments below! We read every single review and appreciate your feedback.

    Recipe

    A square photo of a new york sour cocktail with an ice cube on top a lemon peel garnish on the side.

    New York sour cocktail recipe

    Trish Bozeman
    New York sour cocktail recipe! This gorgeous whiskey cocktail is a variation of the whiskey sour with a red wine float.
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Course cocktail, Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 1 cocktail
    Calories 236 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ounces good quality whiskey, bourbon, or rye
    • 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
    • 1 ounce simple syrup
    • ice
    • ½ ounce dry red wine
    • lemon peel garnish (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker.
    • Fill both the cocktail shaker and a low ball cocktail glass with ice.
    • Shake your cocktail shaker until very cold on the outside, about 30 seconds. Pour the mixture over the ice into your cocktail glass, leaving a bit of room at the top for the wine.
    • Make a red wine float by slowly drizzling the red wine over the back of a small spoon over your cocktail glass.
    • Serve with a lemon peel garnish (optional) and enjoy!

    Notes

    To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely.
    • Have your simple syrup made and cooled before making your cocktail.
    • Some recipes include adding one egg white to the shaker to get more of a frothy texture.
    • Swap the simple syrup for once ounce (one Tablespoon) of maple syrup.
    • Rub a piece of lemon peel around the rim of the glass before serving.
    • Try adding a dash of angostura bitters.
    • When serving, don't serve with a straw. You want to sip from the rim of the glass.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cocktailCalories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 17mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword red wine, whiskey
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Saint and SinnerAgate

      March 09, 2016 at 8:23 am

      I'm interested in what kind of wine did you use in this recipe? Dry, semi dry, sweet? What kind of grapes?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Patricia Bozeman

        March 15, 2016 at 9:55 am

        Hi there! I believe I used a malbec for this recipe. I'd stick to a bold, dry wine to keep the drink from being too sweet.

        Reply
    2. errely

      April 10, 2015 at 9:15 am

      This looks great - Red wine in a cocktail? Yep - I'm in!

      Reply
      • Patricia Bozeman

        April 10, 2015 at 9:37 am

        ha! Me too..... obvs. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Kate@Diethood

      April 10, 2015 at 8:51 am

      That's a beautiful drink!

      Reply
      • Patricia Bozeman

        April 10, 2015 at 9:37 am

        Thanks so much Kate!

        Reply
    4. Michael

      January 09, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      Cool site!

      Reply
    5. Angi

      January 07, 2015 at 9:55 am

      I have never heard of a wine float on a whiskey sour! I may need to try that...

      Favorite cocktail...favorite cocktail...that's a hard one. I normally don't take the time...I'm a rum and diet coke girl, haha. If someone's making me something though, I do like a good long island iced tea.

      Reply
    6. jacquie

      January 07, 2015 at 7:24 am

      not much of a cocktail person myself but prefer liquor sipped. Does an irish coffee count for a cocktail? if so, that would likely be my favorite.

      Reply
    7. Jennifer

      January 04, 2015 at 10:04 pm

      I'm not much of a cocktail gal these days -- hangovers essentially cured me of that, but I do love just about anything involving cheap red wine 🙂

      However, if I'm going out to a bar (a once a year experience these days), I almost always order some variation of a vodka tonic.

      Reply
    8. Tabetha

      January 04, 2015 at 1:45 pm

      4 stars
      I love a good whiskey sour!!

      Reply

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