Boulevardier
45 ml Bourbon, 30 ml Campari, 30 ml Sweet vermouth, 1 Orange twist
Photo: Whiskey Sour Served Up by Will Shenton · CC BY-SA 3.0 · All credits
Ingredients
Measures below are multiplied for 12 drinks. Unmeasurable amounts such as “a splash” are left as written.
- 600 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 600 ml line. Bourbon
- 300 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 300 ml line. Lemon juice
- 240 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 240 ml line. Simple syrup
- 12 whites Egg white - Optional, but it makes the drink (optional)
- 12 slices Orange slice (optional)
- 24 dashes Bottle 24 quick shake of the bottle - each a few drops, about a millilitre. Angostura bitters - Dashed over the foam (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Dry shake everything except the bitters, then shake with ice.
- Strain over ice and dot bitters on the foam.
Method
Batch (12 drinks)Batch (12 drinks) - about 1.14 l of measured ingredients, before ice and dilution.
Timings and per-glass steps below are written for one drink and are not scaled. A full jug takes longer to chill, so stir or shake until it is properly cold rather than by the clock, and pour over fresh ice one glass at a time.
- Add the bourbon, lemon juice, syrup and egg white to a shaker with no ice.
- Shake hard for 15 seconds to build the foam.
- Add ice and shake again until very cold.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and let the foam settle.
- Dash bitters over the foam and garnish with orange.
Serve it
Volumes in this story are multiplied for the size above, along with the ingredients. Years, ratios and the capacities of glasses and jugs are left as written.
Whiskey Sour
The most forgiving drink in the book and one of the most satisfying: the egg white turns a plain sour into something with a head on it that holds the aromas in and looks rather handsome in the glass. If you have never made a cocktail before, start here.
Getting it right
The dry shake matters. Without the first, ice-free shake you get a thin scum instead of a proper foam, so shake the whiskey, lemon, syrup and egg white together for fifteen seconds with no ice at all, then add the ice and shake again until it is properly cold. Strain it into a chilled glass and let the foam settle for a moment before dotting the bitters on top. If you would rather skip the egg, a splash of aquafaba does the same job. Fresh lemon, always.
Tasting notes
Tart lemon and caramel whiskey underneath a soft, faintly peachy cap. Comforting, elegant, and a great deal easier than it looks.
More Bourbon cocktails
Gold Rush
60 ml Bourbon, 20 ml Lemon juice, 20 ml Honey syrup, 1 Lemon twist
Mint Julep
60 ml Bourbon, 8 leaves Mint, 15 ml Simple syrup, 1 Mint sprig