National Whiskey Sour Day
Pucker Up and Celebrate!
Do not even try to claim that you knew that August 25th is National Whiskey Sour Day. We all know you didn't know that. And if you actually did, well, you really know your holidays (or your alcoholic beverages)! Good for you!
All kidding aside, yes, it is true that August 25th celebrates National Whiskey Sour Day. The whiskey sour dates back to the 1700s when it was discovered by accident, really, by British Navy soldiers. Back in the day, they would have plenty of citrus fruits, like oranges and lemons, on the ships to help prevent the soldiers from acquiring scurvy. Since the fresh fruits would go bad pretty quickly, it was discovered that they could preserve them in alcohol. Rum, gin, and whiskey were used to keep the fruit from going bad until someone figured out that the soggy and alcohol-soaked fruit tasted pretty darn good! The discovery was sort of two-fold, actually, since the sailors also would add lime or lemon juice to their rum or whiskey in an attempt to avoid scurvy and discovered this mixture was darn good as well. Hence, the whiskey sour.
On this page, we will reveal my dad's special whiskey sour recipe and mention some other great ones to try. Let's celebrate, shall we?
Photo credit: Saveur via Creative Commons
The Woodstock Kickin' Sour
My Dad's Whiskey Sour Recipe
Let's call this one the "southern" whiskey sour version, or, as my dad wants to call it, "The Woodstock Kickin' Sour" (Woodstock, Georgia, that is). Although we are not originally from the South, we've been here long enough to claim southerner status, I guess!
Bill's Woodstock Kickin' Sour
Pour 3 oz. Canadian Club Whiskey or Canadian Mist Whiskey over crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Add 1.5 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add 4 tsp. sugar and 2 tsp. maraschino cherry juice. Shake vigorously to chill. Drop 2 maraschino cherries in a cocktail glass and strain the cocktail into the glass.
The proper whiskey sour should be sweet and sour, so you may adjust the sugar and lemon juice to taste.
Garnish with an orange slice.
**Variation: "Whiskey Sour L'orange": Include a splash of Triple Sec before shaking to add an orange glow.**
