If you created a mood board that accumulated all of my cocktail interests — whiskey, lemon juice, succinctness, and some kind of niche New York spin [see: Fairytale of New York, Perfect Manhattan] — you might also wonder why it’s taken 15 years for us to talk about the wonder that is the New York Sour. Let’s waste no more time without it. The New York Sour is, in fact, a classic whiskey sour — whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and an egg white, if you wish, for a more dramatic texture — with a dash of red wine that, ideally, should float atop creating distinct layers that integrate as you sip. I had thought that rye is more common than bourbon, because rye can come from New York, but have yet to find that corroborated. Regardless, you can use what you have, as I did.
Alas, I’m absolutely terrible at “floating” drinks; no amount of solid advice about bar spoons, surface trickles, or vigorous shaking to create more body to float another liquid in suspension on top of has improved my skillset. Consider these images a placeholder until a more skilled drinks stylist comes over and teaches me how to make them as pretty as the internet insists they can look.
For a Hanukkah party spin, I can never resist making what I call a Manischewitz Sour, using the sweet red kosher table wine classically used for kiddush (a blessing over wine) and Passover that’s much-derided and yet, I’m sorry, perfect here. There are three more nights of Hanukkah; I hope these bring them good cheer.
Previously
6 months ago: Soy-Glazed Chicken and Chickpea Pan Bagnat
1 year ago: Vanilla Custard Slices
2 years ago: Challah Stuffing
3 years ago: Cabbage and Mushroom Lasagna
4 years ago: Endive Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Walnuts
5 years ago: Brussels Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad
6 years ago: Pecan Pie and Roasted Leek and White Bean Galettes
7 years ago: Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Sauce
8 years ago: Apple-Herb Stuffing for All Seasons
9 years ago: Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
10 years ago: Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Biscuits
11 years ago: Creamed Onions with Bacon and Chives and Sweet Corn Spoonbread
12 years ago: Creamed Spinach
13 years ago: Meyer Lemon and Fresh Cranberry Scones and Winter Fruit Salad
14 years ago: Pumpkin Waffles and Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie
15 years ago: Classic Grilled Cheese + Cream of Tomato Soup
New York Sour
- Ice
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) rye whiskey or bourbon
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) simple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 large egg white (optional)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons red wine
Gently place a thin spoon upside-down at the surface of the drink and slowly, in the barest trickle, pour 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine over the back of it, moving it across the drink’s surface as you pour. If all goes well, the wine will stay at the surface of the drink. If it sinks, well, it’s still going to be pretty and delicious. Repeat with the second drink.
Note: To make simple syrup, combine 4 tablespoons granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add 2 tablespoons of cold water (to speed up the cooling process) and pour into a jar or bowl to finish cooling. You’ll have a little more than you need here, but it keeps forever in the fridge.
Not a drinker of alcohol here, but this looks very festive. Wishing you happy holidays and best wishes.
This sounds so tasty! I’ve never heard of a New York Sour, but I will make this soon. Now a technical question: have you ever made this with a red wine OTHER than Manischewitz? I’m wondering if the higher sugar content in Manischewitz makes it more dense, and therefore harder to get a good float.
Deb I actually think it’s *because* you’re using manischewitz, which is “heavier” because of the high sugar content! A low-sugar red would probably float on the denser sugary base!
Perfect timing! I have a bit of merlot – from WA state of course, WA wine forever! – left in my fridge from making clarified punch last week, and since I wasn’t a fan of the punch as much as I really wanted to be, I can give this a go tonight without feeling guilty for opening a whole bottle for a few ounces!
Merlot in the fridge??
I know I know but I was planning on making stew with it but I didn’t have a timeline and it keeps longer chilled in my experience. Plus now its ready for Deb’s latest!
You can freeze red wine for stews!!! I do this all the time in a ziplock bag when I’m not going to finish a bottle but stew is too long on the horizon.
All this to say…wow this is now tied with the boulevardier as my fave holiday drink. Deb, I can always depend on you to deliver right up my alley. My extended family has a tradition of whiskey sours on NYE and this just got voted to take that honor. So smooth. And that merlot was *mwah* even from the fridge heh. I did a dry shake with the egg white before adding the ice and the wine floated perfectly. That hint of wine with every sip is so lovely.
YES! Must dry shake the egg whites (with the simple syrup, whiskey) or they do not foam up quite enough. That’s how I make it, as well. My fave drink, with the Boulevardier being a close second!
Hi Deb, I love this drink and I make it all the time using a Bon Appetit recipe. The red wine never sinks! I promise I am not even careful with the spoon or my pouring technique. So it may be the kind of wine you are using.
I think Corinne is right about the Manischewitz being heavier, but it might also help to do what’s called a “dry shake” of the ingredients before adding the ice and shaking it to chill and dilute. This emulsifies the egg better so the base might be strong enough to hold the wine.
As others have said, use a standard red wine, and it’ll float. Also, no egg in an NY Sour, ever.
So glad to finally have a recipe that will use up our bottle of Manischewitz leftover from Passover and lingering in the back of our refrigerator for sangria. The New York Sour looks to to be the perfect holiday cocktail providing some extra warmth and cheer. Happy Hanukkah!
Did you cut down the simple syrup if using Manischweitz?
This article popped up on my google feed today, and I feel like I have to say something.
1. For a creamier texture, use 1 egg white per cocktail.
2. Dry shake for a thicker, creamier head.
3. The point of the red wine is that the tannins add dynamic bitterness that cuts the acidity of the lemon, so use a dry red.
4. Pour into chilled glasses but not over ice.
My preferred spec for this is:
1.5oz Bourbon (which can be made anywhere in the United States, including New York) or Rye of choice.
.75oz Lemon juice
.5oz Simple syrup
1 Eggwhite
Bar spoon of dry red wine
Can I ask, what “texture” does the egg give the drink? Does it just make it creamy without using dairy? Or make it seem thick? Do you actually taste “eggy” flavor here?
Not eggy. It makes it more foamy and dramatic. I have ordered sours for a long time and never, ever knew there was egg white in it.
I saw this fun recipe just a few hours before hosting a holiday dinner party. Had all the ingredients on hand and had just enough time to made a batch of simple syrup. This drink was a big hit!! I opted to not include the egg white and used a fruity Pinot noir for the float. It worked perfectly to make beautiful layers even with my clumsy pouring skills. Thank you for the festive and delicious recipe!
I am going to make this next weekend for friends who are coming over and will add my comments to “I made this”! I am also going to be serving the Winter Squash & Spinach pasta bake which I’ve made before and is delicious.
DEB – curious about the citrus juicer you show in the photos for this drink recipe? Could you share what it is? Looking at upping my game for an easier way to juice my citrus.
I conquered my fear of raw egg for this. Fear be damned! Delicious! Drank it while making your wild rice gratin. Yummy evening, thanks!
One more thing I must add, I used Wollersheim round trip rye whiskey, a lovely Wisconsin concoction that you would be happy to add to your cabinet, among their many award winning wines and spirits. Go Wisconsin!
This looks great and I’m excited to try it. Just FYI, bourbon doesn’t have geographical restrictions and there’s great NY bourbon available! I like Hudson Whiskey.
This was delicious, thank you for the recipe! And despite being totally incompetent, we were able to get the red wine to float. So I suspect the Manischewitz is the culprit.
One of my favourites since discovering it a few years ago! Just here to chime in with those saying it’s likely the wine preventing the floating. My reds (not Manischewitz) always float just by being poured over the back of teaspoon and I’ve never even made it with an egg white (which would presumably thicken it some), so it must be the wine.
This is one of my favourites – we make it every time we remember to save a little when drinking a bottle of red!
Delicious! I did the dry shake with the egg white and then poured over crushed ice. So yum.
This is delicious. Didn’t use an eggwhite, but like them in drinks. Really good in pisco sours. Used bourbon this time, next time I’m trying this with rye.
Deb, I am a big fan of cocktails and a big fan of this one. I wanna point out a couple of things:
1. If you have gomme syrup (syrup thickened with gum arabic) that’s going to help a lot because it will thicken the sour making it easier to get a float. (Also make it feel nicer in your mouth!)
2. Most bartenders I’ve seen talk about this drink leave out the egg white, because it makes the bottom part less dense than wine (that’s the whole point of adding an egg white to a cocktail, to make it fluffier) which makes it basically impossible to get a float.
I’ve made this drink many times and I’ve never been able to get it to float using an egg white :(
Thank you! Based on the success others are having without the heavy Manichewitz, lol, I’m also thinking that’s an additional culprit. I’ll reshoot this soon!
I’m also terrible at floating booze on booze using the back of a spoon. A few years back, though, my husband got one of these, and lo and behold, this little guy does the trick for me! https://www.amazon.com/Brutul-1011-Turtle-Layering-Stainless/dp/B0007SN5TI
This cocktail is SO good. I am a beginning bourbon/rye drinker. This is not spirit forward and has great balance.
Shaking ingredients without ice works and was really frothy. We used a french appertif wine called Dubonnet for the floater…and it floated! It was pretty and delicious!
I’m intrigued! And reassured about trying the raw egg white in it after reading this article that suggests alcohol + citrus can kill off bacteria if given ~9 minutes to sit!
Link: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7911469/Wait-nine-minutes-sipping-sour-cocktail-risk-getting-SALMONELLA.html
This is such a tasty and refreshing cocktail! We’ve made this a couple times already and just love it. I also made a variation the other night that has a bit of a holiday spice flavor, by replacing part of the whiskey with allspice liqueur (St. Elizabeth). Also very tasty!
I loved this! Looked and tasted like a $15 cocktail from a fancy restaurant or bar (the ones I’m avoiding right now due to omicron)- thank you!
I made these (with the egg white) and they were GREAT! Thanks Deb!
I made these over the holidays along with many other cocktails, and these were the favorites by far! Delicious and I managed to get the wine to float *most* of the time :) I did not use the egg white because, well, laziness.
Gosh those were good! Made it with bourbon not rye. We used an open bottle of Pinot Noir. Round one egg white. Round two, no egg white and a little more simple syrup. Both delicious! Float was accomplished!
These are so good! To make these vegan, I use aquafaba (the juice from a can of *unsalted* chick peas). I whizz it up in the food processor for maximum froth effect but a vigorous cocktail shake would probably work too!
Well, I read this blog. its a very helpful for me.
Cannot wait to serve these on Sunday while I’m slinging latkes. And I can’t wait to see you at the Merage JCC!!!
Our niece’s partner made these NY Sours for us at last year’s holiday party. They were delicious and she made it look easy to skim the top with red wine. When I made it, it turned out to be a beautiful rosy beverage. My second attempt was a success! Maybe it was simply a second beverage that was needed? Thanks for sharing the recipe with proportions! Happy holidays!!!
Bartender in training here.. dry shake the ingredients first. The egg white with froth up much better this way. Cheers!!!
I don’t understand the egg white. Can someone explain? Please!
It makes it frothier.
Sending this straightaway to my cocktail-loving friends. For a vegan version you can use aquafaba whipped up in place of the egg white (plus then you don’t have to figure out what to do with the leftover yolks).
I use maple syrup in my whiskey sours for a “Canadian” whiskey sour! 🇨🇦
I tried it with aquafaba instead of the egg white (I’m not vegan but that’s what I had in the fridge) and it was delicious! So smooth!
What’s a good red wine to use if you don’t have Manischewitz? I’m guessing something sweet instead of dry?
Any kind will work — I’m not picky here at all.
Made this for friends we had over last night, we loved it! Great recipe.