Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Add some red wine to your whiskey sour because why not

Do you prefer your whiskey sour with a red wine float or without?

By
Starward Whisky
Starward Whisky

The sour is the archetype from which hundreds of cocktails descend: the simple, classic, and delicious combination of spirit, lemon juice, and sugar is a springboard for endless variations. And what better day to consider this hallowed icon of every drinks menu than today, Sunday August 25, National Whiskey Sour Day.

A whiskey sour is one of the first cocktails many people try, and it remains the pinnacle for many. The classic recipe is simple and to the point, with no nonsense and no fuss. But there’s also an immensely popular variation of the whiskey sour which is back in fashion in a big way — the New York sour. This keeps the same base of whiskey shaken with lemon and simple syrup, but once you’ve strained that into your rocks glass you add another ingredient. You float a small amount of red wine over the drink to add rich color and deep, tannin-y taste.

Recommended Videos

As strange a combination as that sounds, it has stuck around because the fruity, rich red wine plays really well with the fruity, boozy taste of the whiskey. If you’re interested in trying it out, below are two variations of the New York sour, from Starward Whisky and Templeton Whiskey. And as a bonus, there’s a cherry variation on the sour as well.

Starward Whisky’s New World Sour

Death & Co
Starward Whisky

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Starward Two-Fold Whisky
  • 1 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 oz Simple Syrup
  • 1.5 oz Australian Red Wine

Method:

Add Two-Fold, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker. Add ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Top with Australian Red Wine

Templeton Whiskey’s Templeton Sour

Templeton Whiskey
Templeton Whiskey

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz Templeton Rye 6 Year
  • 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
  • 3/4 oz Lemon Juice
  • 1 Egg White
  • 1 oz Malbec

Method:

Add all ingredients except the Malbec to a shaker and do a dry shake (no ice). Then add ice and shake again. Strain into a rocks glass filed with ice and float with the Malbec.

Templeton Whiskey’s Cherry Blossom Whiskey Sour

Templeton Whiskey
Templeton Whiskey

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Templeton Midnight Rye
  • 0.5 oz Yuzu Liqueur
  • 0.75 oz Simple Syrup
  • 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
  • 3 dashes Cherry Bitters

Method:

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice and add a float of the Midnight Rye. Garnish with a cherry skewer.

Editors’ Recommendations

Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
A red, white, and blue cocktail perfect for your Fourth of July party
Layers of flavor over crushed ice make up the Rocket Pop cocktail
rocket pop cocktail unnamed 4

With Fourth of July on the horizon, it's time to dust off your grill and get out the barbecue tongs. And while you're preparing for your celebrations, you might be looking around for some fun drinks options too. While there are plenty of classic cocktail (or mocktail!) recipes that can be delicious for parties, if you're after something festive and fun then a new recipe from Cutwater Horchata Vodka might be just the thing.

The Rocket Pop is a red, white, and blue themed cocktail which uses crushed ice to create layers of color. That's smart as it makes it easy to keep the layers separate and to get the neat tri-color effect.

Read more
A primer on Tempranillo, the ultimate red meat wine
Firing up the grill? Crack a Tempranillo
Cut of grilled steak with glass of red wine

Equal parts fruity and savory, Tempranillo may just be the best red meat wine on the planet. Born in Spain, the varietal has spread its wings and found nourishing homes in places all over the global wine map. In fact, some of the very best Tempranillo is coming out of the states, in places like Oregon and Texas.

The third-most planted wine grape on earth ripens on the early side and produces a lovely, fuller-bodied red. It's a natural for red meat, or even plant-based alternatives. So by default, Tempranillo is a great summer wine, ideal matched with what's cooking on your grill.
What does Tempranillo taste like?

Read more
The best orange wines for something satisfyingly in between a red and white
Orange wine to try
orange wine

Orange wine continues to dazzle wine drinkers, and it's no wonder that the style sits in a happy medium between whites and reds. The style, a skin-fermented white wine hailing from the Republic of Georgia, is one of the oldest around. And it's also never been more popular, with imports continuing to pour in and domestic producers trying their own takes on orange wine, utilizing a broad range of interesting grape varieties.

Simply put, now's an ideal time to enjoy orange wine. They're coming in from all corners of the global wine map and taking advantage of everything from Gewurztraminer to Marsanne. Most exciting, the best orange wines afford the structure of red wine and the sprightliness of white wine. Like an oxidized Rosé with tannin and sometimes funky and intriguing flavors profiles, these wines are captivating.

Read more