Description

What it is: A whisky sour built specifically around Scotch, with lemon, rich syrup and an optional silky egg-white head.

The story: The Scotch Sour is best understood as a branch of the much older sour family rather than a drink with one proven inventor. Switching the whiskey base to Scotch changes the cocktail markedly: malt, cereal, heather, fruit and smoke can all come forward depending on the bottle.

Why it works: Fresh lemon cuts through Scotch’s malt character while rich syrup softens its edges. Egg white is optional but gives a creamy texture and helps carry aroma; it does not make the drink taste eggy when properly shaken.

Ingredients

60 ml Blended Scotch whisky
30 ml lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
20 ml Sugar syrup
15 ml Egg White (optional for texture)
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 piece Lemon peel
1 piece Orange Peel

Equipment needed

Cocktail Shaker – Essential for chilling and, when used, emulsifying egg white. Fine Mesh Strainer – For a smooth foam.

Instructions

Chill a lowball glass and prepare fresh lemon and orange peel.
Add Scotch, lemon juice, rich syrup, optional egg white and optional bitters to a shaker with ice.
Shake hard, then strain the contents back into the empty shaker.
Shake again without ice for 8 to 10 seconds to tighten the foam.
Fine strain over fresh cubed ice in the lowball glass.
Express both citrus peels over the surface and garnish.

Recommended glassware

Lowball Glass (recommended)

A short, sturdy glass for spirit-forward cocktails served over ice.

180–300 ml Short, wide, heavy-bottomed tumbler.

Best for: Old Fashioned, Negroni, Boulevardier, Whiskey Sour over ice, Rusty Nail.

Garnish: Great for orange twists, cherries, and large clear ice cubes.

Scotch Sour recipe.