This Bartender Reimagined a Whiskey Sour, and We’re Here for It

A touch of blackberry packs a serious punch.

Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist. Photo Assistant: Mitchell Mylius. Food Stylist: Micah Morton with Big Leo. Food Stylist Assistant: Terrance Harvey.
Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist. Photo Assistant: Mitchell Mylius. Food Stylist: Micah Morton with Big Leo. Food Stylist Assistant: Terrance Harvey.

Think of the Whiskey Sour as a citrusy version of the Old Fashioned. Fresh lemon juice makes it the perfect complement to sunny, Southern-fried days and the kind of humidity they invented cornstarch for. Although the earliest printed recipe (in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 tome, The Bartenders Guide) doesn’t call for egg whites, many bartenders add them in—including Shae Minnillo, a bartender at Manolito in New Orleans, who concocted this version of a Whiskey Sour. "This is the marriage between a Whiskey Sour and a Bramble," says Minnillo. "A touch of blackberry will play off the whiskey without making the drink more complicated. It’s a lovely addition to a tried and true classic." 

Whiskey Sour

FLAVOR PROFILE
Dry, Sour

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ounces Whiskey
  • ¾ ounce Lemon Juice
  • ½ ounce Creme de Mure
  • ¼ ounce Simple Syrup
  • 1 Egg White

INSTRUCTIONS

Step one

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin without ice. Dry shake for 6-8 seconds.

Step two

Add a scoop of ice and shake for 6-8 seconds.

Step three

Double strain into a coupe glass and express the oil from one lemon peel over the top of the drink.

Recipe provided by Shae Minnillo