Scotch Sour Cocktail Recipe

The Scotch Sour is a classic mix of blended Scotch whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. If this mixture of ingredients sounds familiar, that’s because the Scotch Sour is basically a Whiskey Sour with Scotch whisky used as the base spirit instead of bourbon or rye. When compared to American whiskeys, blended Scotch is made primarily from malted barley and has a unique flavor that completely transforms the character of this cocktail.

For decades, Scotch was considered too serious to shake. The boom of craft cocktail culture softened that stance, and bartenders began revisiting the Scotch Sour as a way to celebrate whisky’s unique character when mixed in a cocktail. Today, the Scotch Sour comes off as approachable but elegant, with a tart and aromatic profile that feels timeless.

Why the Scotch Sour works

The Scotch Sour is part of the most popular and enduring family of cocktails, sours. Sour cocktails are shaken drinks defined by the use of a base spirit, a tart citrus juice like lemon or lime, and a sugar-based sweetening agent, most often a simple syrup. The most popular examples of sours are the Daiquiri and the bourbon- or rye-based Whiskey Sour, but they can be made with any base spirit.

The three ingredients work together to create a balanced cocktail. In this case, the complex notes of malted barley and peat smoke present in the Scotch are softened and rounded out by the simple syrup. The addition of lemon juice provides a sour acidity that tempers the sweetness of the syrup.

Additionally, a few dashes of Angostura bitters and an orange twist provide a pop of citrus aromatics and deep baking spice that both complement Scotch, giving the cocktail even more depth.

While not used in this recipe, egg whites are sometimes shaken with sours to give the drink a frothier, thicker consistency and texture.