Meet The Scotch Sour: A Sophisticated Twist On A Popular Classic Cocktail

The whiskey sour's combination of sour lemon juice, sweet simple syrup, and the titular booze (typically bourbon) is an excellent mix of bright and strong flavors with the exact right amount of sugar to mellow it all out. It's even more lilting when whiskey sours introduce egg whites to bring some texture to the glass. This member of the sour family is also terrific with many kinds of whiskey; scotch, a type of whiskey with geographical requirements (among others), is an excellent twist that stays in the same lane.

You notice the difference on your first sip, but just what that difference is — smokier, spicier, even fruitier than normal — depends on the type of scotch you choose. Scotch, like a lot of spirits, is dynamic, both in terms of flavor and price point. You may not want to use, say, a scotch that falls on the shockingly expensive end of the spectrum when you're diluting it with other ingredients. The cheapest might not do right by your sour, either. However, if you understand what you like in a scotch on its own, you should have a better idea of what you like in a scotch sour.

Thinking about the cocktails you already like helps you reverse engineer your ideal scotch sour. Love swapping the tequila in your margarita with a smoky mezcal? You can create a similar scotch sour finish. However, not all Scotch whiskies are smoky, so choose carefully; Laphroaig 10 carries notes of smoke, along with a kiss of sweetness.

Maybe you prefer tipples where sweetness is the chief characteristic. While it hardly competes with an apple martini, you might find Bruichladdich's glancingly confectionary Classic Laddie, or Johnnie Walker Red, to your liking. Speaking of fruity libations, maybe botanicals are your jam. If this is the case, consider The Glenlivet 12, which boasts elements of peach and pear.

In any case, these qualities are typically subtle, and you may detect them to varying degrees. Before you start shaking (sours are typically shaken), give your scotch contenders a taste on their own — and maybe begin with the 10 award-winning scotches you should try at least once.