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This Cherry Whiskey Sour adds a cherry twist on a classic whiskey sour cocktail. It is made with a homemade black cherry simple syrup for the most authentic cherry flavor.
A classic whiskey sour is made with whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and an egg white. This cherry variation is made with all the same ingredients, but the plain simple syrup is replaced with a cherry one.
For some other whiskey sour variations, try this Pineapple Whiskey Sour or this Blood Orange Whiskey Sour.
For some other cherry flavored bourbon drinks, try this Cherry Bourbon Cocktail or this Black Cherry Old Fashioned.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made from real cherries — All of the cherry flavor in this drink comes from real cherries, which are used to make the simple syrup. This homemade syrup is so much better than any store bought one!
- Whiskey sour variation — If you love whiskey based drinks, and especially whiskey sours (with the frothy egg white top), then this is definitely a variation you’ll want to try!
- Easy to make — This is a simple drink to make and all you need are few easy to find ingredients.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cherries: If cherries are in season, use fresh cherries. Black cherries are sweeter than sour cherries, but you can use either depending on whether you’d prefer a slightly sweeter drink or one with a more tart flavor.
- Whiskey: Use your favorite mid-shelf whiskey or bourbon for this drink.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always the best option for cocktails, but if you are in a rush, you can use a high quality bottled lemon juice.
- Egg White: An egg white is what gives this drink its foamy, frothy top. If you don’t want to consume raw eggs, you can use aquafaba (the liquid on top of a can of chickpeas), or a cocktail foamer substitute. You can also just leave out the egg white entirely.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar works best for making the cherry syrup, but you can easily use brown sugar instead for this drink.
- Water: A bit of water is used to make the cherry syrup. If your tap water has a funny taste, use filtered or bottled water instead.
How To Make A Cherry Whiskey Sour
Step 1: Heat the cherries, sugar and water together in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to heat until the sugar has melted and the cherries have burst.
Step 2: Strain out the cherry pieces and cherry pits. Let the syrup cool down for a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the cherry syrup, whiskey, lemon juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for 20 to 30 seconds and strain into your cocktail glass.
Expert Tips
- Don’t let the syrup boil. If the cherry syrup starts to boil, reduce the stove temperature. A light simmer is ok, but boiling will cause too much water to evaporate. This will make your syrup way too thick.
- Shake the cocktail well. For any cocktail with a foamy top, it is especially important to shake the drink well. Otherwise, the top may look a bit flat. Shake the drink vigorously for at least 20 to 30 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosted.
- Store leftover syrup in the fridge. This recipe will make extra cherry syrup. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can use frozen cherries to make the cherry syrup. You don’t need to let them thaw before making the syrup. It will take about an extra 5 minutes of cooking the syrup for them to fully break down.
If you don’t want to consume raw eggs, you can leave the egg white out entirely. Alternatively, you can use two tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas), or you can use a store bought cocktail drink foamer.
You can use leftover syrup in any type of drink, such as flavoring for lemonades, teas or sodas. You can also use it to make these Cherry Vodka Shots, this Cherry Mojito, or these Cherry Margaritas.
📖 Recipe
Cherry Whiskey Sour
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cherry Whiskey Sour adds a cherry twist on a classic whiskey sour cocktail. It is made with a homemade black cherry simple syrup for the most authentic cherry flavor.
Ingredients
- Cherry Simple Syrup:
- 1 cup cherries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- Cherry Whiskey Sour:
- 2 oz whiskey
- 1 oz cherry simple syrup
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 egg white or cocktail foamer
Instructions
- Make the cherry simple syrup. Heat the cherries, granulated sugar and water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and use a fork to burst the cherries open as they soften. After about 5 to 10 minutes, once the cherries have all burst and the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the syrup from the stove.
- Use a fine mesh strainer to strain out the cherry pieces. Let the syrup cool for a few minutes before making your cocktail.
- Make the cherry whiskey sour. Add the whiskey, cherry simple syrup, lemon juice and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. Strain the drink into your cocktail glass and serve immediately.
Notes
- Storing leftover syrup: Store leftover syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can use leftovers to make these Cherry Vodka Shots or this Cherry Old Fashioned.
- Egg white substitute: You can either leave out the egg white or replace it with 2 tablespoon of aquafaba. You can also try a store bought cocktail foamer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cocktail Recipes
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cocktail
- Calories: 223
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 8mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20.9g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 3.7g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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