This Spiced Orange Whisky Sour features orange juice, fresh ginger, and cinnamon to give it a warm, spicy flavor that complements the whisky perfectly.
The "sour" category of cocktails is one of my very favorite types of cocktails. They include many popular drinks like margaritas, daiquiris, amaretto sours, and whisky sours. Including this one, the Spiced Orange Whisky Sour.
What is a sour cocktail?
While all sour drinks have different flavors and recipes, they all follow the same basic formula. A classic "sour" cocktail follows this basic formula:
3 parts liquor (1 ½ - 2 ounces)
1 part "sweet" (½ - ¾ ounce)
1 part "sour" (½ to ¾ ounce)
The "sweet" part of the recipe is usually a simple syrup or sugar of some kind. In the case of this whisky sour recipe, I use superfine sugar because it dissolves easily, but doesn't require the extra step of making and storing simple syrup.
The "sour" part is usually a citrus juice of some kind. In this case, orange juice. Other drinks might use lemon, lime, or cranberry juice.
The type of liquor can also vary. Obviously, a whisky sour recipe uses whisky. Others might use tequila (margaritas), rum (daiquiris), amaretto (I think you know where I'm going here).
The reason I love sour cocktails is because they are so simple and quick to make. They require few ingredients and take only minutes, and a quick shake to make.
They are also very versatile. While some, like margaritas and daiquiris, are often thought of as summer drinks, this whisky sour is perfect for fall and winter.
The ginger and cinnamon give this cocktail a warm, spicy flavor that is not only perfect for the colder months but also very well-suited for holiday get-togethers.
How to make a Spiced Orange Whisky Sour:
You will only need one piece of equipment to make a whisky sour: a good cocktail shaker. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, or expensive, but you will want to make sure it doesn't leak to prevent any sticky messes.
My version of a whisky sour (along with some other sour cocktail recipes) uses aquafaba. Aquafaba is the water left after boiling chickpeas, or the water from a can of chickpeas. The protein in the water makes it similar to egg whites, which when added to a shaken cocktail, creates a thick layer of foam on the top that makes for a silky mouthfeel. If you don't have any aquafaba on hand, feel free to skip it.
To get the best foam, I first add my ingredients to my cocktail shaker without ice, and shake vigorously. Then I open up the shaker, add a couple handfuls of ice, and shake it again to chill the cocktail.
I don't serve this particular cocktail with ice. I like to serve it in a coupe glass because it's the perfect size, and it feels fancy.
Spiced Orange Whisky Sour Ingredients:
- Orange juice: preferably fresh-squeezed, if you have it.
- Whisky
- Aquafaba: the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas, optional. This creates a dense foam and silky mouthfeel, but if you don't have any, simply skip it.
- superfine sugar: Making your own superfine sugar is easy. Simply put regular, granulated sugar in a food processor or blender, and blend until it reaches a powdered consistency. Superfine sugar is perfect to use in cocktails because it dissolves more easily than granulated sugar.
- Freshly grated ginger
- Ground cinnamon (plus extra for garnish)
Want more cocktail recipes?
Spiced Orange Whisky Sour Nutrition Notes:
Like most cocktails and alcoholic beverages, the calories in this drink come mostly from the alcohol (in this case, whisky), sugar, and juice used in the drink. Drink all alcoholic beverages in moderation.
Spiced Orange Whisky Sour
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- 1 ½ ounces whisky
- 1 Tablespoon aquafaba (the liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas, optional)
- 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon (plus extra for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine¼ cup orange juice, 1 ½ ounces whisky, 1 Tablespoon aquafaba , 1 teaspoon superfine sugar, ¼ teaspoon freshly grated ginger, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon together in a cocktail shaker with no ice. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Add enough ice so that the shaker is about ¾ full and shake again for 10-15 more seconds. Strain into A coupe or old fashioned glass and garnish with an orange peel twist, candied ginger, cinnamon stick, or additional ground cinnamon as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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