Mixing spirit with citrus and sugar makes for a fantastic way to enjoy a sour drink. Cue this refreshing take on a spiced-up version of the whiskey sour.
Whiskey sours are usually made with sweeter and fuller-bodied bourbon, to go down smoother. In this case, we use a rye whiskey as the base of our whiskey sour. Rye whiskey brings a spicier edge and drier taste to the palate, driving harder flavours that suit the accompanying clove and star anise we use in this recipe. The result is an outstanding rye whiskey sour recipe with a touch of complexity.
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Like Christmas: Sugar, spice, and everything nice
A simple sugar syrup adds sweetness to whiskey sours. Here, we add a little twist to the basic sugar syrup by creating a 30-minute infusion with clove and star anise spices. The resulting sour is one that tastes surprisingly festive. The star anise lends a kiss of gentle licorice-like flavour, while the taste of clove pushes forward more prominently without strangling or overtaking the whole drink.
Directions for preparing the clove and star anise syrup can be found below, along with the rye whiskey sour recipe.
Rye whiskey sour recipe + clove & star anise spiced syrup
Course: DrinksDifficulty: Easy1
servings35
minutesHere’s a refreshing take on a spiced-up version of the rye whiskey sour, complete with homemade clove and star anise sugar syrup.
Ingredients
- Clove & star anise syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup whole cloves
1/5 cup whole star anise
- Rye whiskey sour
2 ounces rye whiskey (we use Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce clove and star anise syrup
1 egg white
Bitters, to garnish (we use The Bitter Housewife Bull Run Barrel Aged Bitters)
Preparation
- Clove & star anise syrup
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water. Bring to boil to dissolve the sugar.
- Turn off heat, add cloves and star anise. Let flavours infuse for 30 minutes.
- When mixture comes to room temperature, strain syrup into a bottle.
- Rye whiskey sour
- Add all ingredients to a shaker.
- Cover, dry shake (without ice) to emulsify the egg white and create a nice foam, about 40 seconds.
- Top with ice, cover, and shake until chilled, about 15 seconds.
- Pour into a chilled rocks glass.
- Garnish with bitters. To create a pattern, drop bitters onto foam and use a pick to draw lines through.
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