New York Sour | A Cocktail with Wine

The New York Sour is a classic drink but this was my first time to ever have one, much less make one myself. I love researching the history of classic cocktails and thankfully Spencer over at Whiskey Tango Globetrot did the hard work for me in this post.

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Here’s a summary. In the late 1800s, ~someone~ in Chicago made a whiskey sour and added a red wine float. They named this creation a Claret Snap. The Claret Snap was eventually renamed the Continental Sour… and then the Southern Whiskey Sour. When the drink gained popularity in New York, it was renamed the New York Sour.

Reading comprehension check: Is a New York Sour just a Whiskey Sour with an extra addition of red wine? If you answered ‘yes’, you’re right! A cocktail with wine? Mmhm. Someone got the brilliant idea to add wine to this classic American cocktail and we should be forever grateful.

What is a red wine “float”, though? Floating is the bartending technique of carefully layering one liquid ingredient on top of another. Floats only work if the two liquids have different densities. In laymen’s terms, one liquid has to be lighter than the other. The denser liquid has to be poured into the glass first and the lighter liquid needs to be caarreefullly and slowly poured on top. You can watch the little video in my Passionfruit Paloma post and see that I did it the other way around and my beet simple syrup did NOT float.

So. Rule #1: If you want a liquid to float, make sure the denser liquid is the one in the glass and the less-dense liquid is the you’re pouring in. Rule #2: To achieve a good float, pour the less-dense liquid over the back of a bar spoon. This will help distribute it more evenly over the surface of the dense liquid. Rule #3: Make sure your spoon is close to the surface without actually touching it.

If you’re wondering what kind of red wine to use, dry wines are best. Think Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Syrah, Malbec. I used Merlot- a real cheap one- and it was okay. I would definitely go much drier next time. It was a touch too sweet for me.

It’s important for me to note that the traditional New York Sour recipe calls for rye whiskey. If you’ve read my Irish Mule post or my About page, then you’re familiar with the fact that I have Celiac disease. Because of this, I choose to avoid most whiskeys for health reasons.

Many whiskeys are rendered gluten-free after they’re distilled. This would be GREAT expect for the fact that many companies add some of the wash back in after they’re distilled, making the final product NOT gluten-free. If you’re only gluten-sensitive, you probably fine to drink whiskey. However, if you have Celiac, it’s best to avoid a whiskey brand unless you know they don’t add any mash back in after the distillation process.

Since it’s hard to figure that out sometimes, I stick to 100% corn whiskey. It doesn’t have the same taste as rye whiskey but it’s whiskey so I’ll take it. I think this cocktail would taste better with rye, though, so if you can have it, use it.

While we’re on the topic of the traditional New York Sour recipe, let’s talk about the optional egg white. Egg whites were not used in this cocktail back in the day. So if you want to stay true to tradition (and if you’re maybe a little scared of drinking a raw egg white), stick with the first 4 ingredients.

But maybe I can persuade you to use one. As I’ve talked about in my other cocktail recipes (1, 2, & 3) that involve egg whites, an egg white adds amazing texture and body to a drink. It smooths out any harshness in a recipe and lends a silky mouthfeel. Try making a New York Sour with egg white and one without to see which variation you prefer.

To be completely honest, this was not my favorite cocktail. Maybe it’s because I used corn whiskey or maybe it’s because my red wine was too sweet, idk. I’m not sure that I’d make it a second time. Howevverrrr, my husband, who doesn’t ever like my cocktails, actually liked this one and drank the whole thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ To each their own.

Have you made another cocktail with wine? Let me know in the comments. This is definitely something I want to try my hand at.

As always, let me know if you make one of these by tagging me on Instagram (@girlandtonic_) or by posting a pic on my Facebook page!

Ingredients for a New York Sour with Egg White

• 2 oz rye whiskey (I used corn whiskey instead for dietary reasons)
• 1 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz dry red wine to float
• 1 egg white- optional

How To Make a New York Sour with Egg White

First, we dry shake. Combine the whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, & egg white into a cocktail shaker without ice (hence the “dry”) and shake for 30 seconds. Next, we wet shake. Carefully add in a handful of ice and shake again for 30+ seconds. Your arm’s gonna be screaming and your hand’s gonna be freezing BUT KEEP GOING. The more vigorously you shake, the better your foam will be.

Strain the shaker into a lowball glass filled with ice. Float the dry wine on top by slowly pouring it over the back of a bar spoon, keeping the spoon close to the surface without touching it. As the drink sits, the foam from the egg white will rise to the top.

If you’re making this without the egg white, skip the dry shake.