New York Sour: The Whiskey Cocktail with a Wine Twist

When a classic whiskey sour gets dressed up with a red wine float, darling, you've got yourself a New York Sour—the cocktail equivalent of a perfectly tailored tuxedo with a silk pocket square. C'est magnifique.

The Sour That Stole New York

Picture this: you're at a swanky Manhattan bar in the 1880s, and some brilliant bartender thinks, "What if we floated red wine on top of a whiskey sour?" Absolute genius, that. The New York Sour—sometimes called the Continental Sour—is essentially a whiskey sour with a gorgeous red wine float that creates a stunning visual gradient and adds a layer of fruity complexity that'll make your taste buds do a little dance.

What makes this cocktail so bloody brilliant is the contrast: sharp, citrusy whiskey sour on the bottom, smooth, fruity red wine floating on top like a velvet blanket. It's the cocktail world's answer to surf and turf—two great things that become extraordinary together.

Ingredients You'll Need

2 oz (60ml) bourbon or rye whiskey - Your base spirit, choose wisely
3/4 oz (22ml) fresh lemon juice - None of that bottled nonsense, please
1/2 oz (15ml) simple syrup - Equal parts sugar and water, dissolved
1/2 oz (15ml) dry red wine - For the float (more on this below)
Optional: 1/2 oz egg white - For that silky texture and gorgeous foam

The Art of the Float: Technique Matters

Right, here's where we separate the amateurs from the pros. The wine float is what makes this cocktail Instagram-worthy, so don't muck it up. The key is creating a distinct layer that sits on top of the sour base without immediately mixing in—like oil and water, but delicious.

Pro Tip: The Spoon Technique

Hold a bar spoon upside down just above the surface of your cocktail, touching the inside of the glass. Slowly pour the wine over the back of the spoon—this diffuses the flow and allows the wine to gently settle on top. Patience, darling. This isn't a race.

Step-by-Step Instructions

If using egg white: Combine bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white in your shaker. Dry shake (without ice) for about 15 seconds to emulsify the egg white. This creates that gorgeous silky foam.
Add ice: Fill your shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. You want it properly chilled and diluted.
Strain: Double strain into a rocks glass or coupe over fresh ice (if using rocks glass) or straight up (if using coupe).
The float: Using the spoon technique described above, gently float the red wine on top. Watch that beautiful gradient form.
Garnish: A lemon wheel or cherry is traditional, but honestly, that wine float is garnish enough.

Choosing Your Red Wine Float

Here's the thing: you don't want anything too heavy, tannic, or oaky. This isn't the time for that big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon you'd pair with steak. You want something light-bodied, fruity, and smooth that won't overpower the delicate balance of the sour.

Best Red Wines for Your Float

Beaujolais (Gamay)

Light, fruity, low tannins—absolutely spot on for this cocktail. The bright cherry and raspberry notes complement the bourbon beautifully without fighting for attention.

Price range: $12-20 USD

Pinot Noir

Silky, elegant, with enough body to float properly but not so much that it overwhelms. Look for something from Oregon or Burgundy (if you're feeling fancy).

Price range: $15-25 USD

Malbec (lighter style)

A lighter Argentine Malbec brings dark fruit flavors without excessive tannins. The plum notes play beautifully with whiskey's vanilla and caramel.

Price range: $10-18 USD

Valpolicella

This Italian beauty is light, tart, and cherry-forward—absolutely brilliant for cocktails. Plus, it's often quite affordable.

Price range: $12-20 USD

Glassware & Presentation

Traditionally, a New York Sour is served in a rocks glass (old fashioned glass) over ice, which gives you that gorgeous gradient effect from lemon-yellow at the bottom through to deep ruby at the top. However, I've also seen it served up in a coupe glass, which is rather elegant for a dinner party.

If you're going the rocks glass route, use a large ice cube if you have it—looks smashing and melts slower. For the coupe presentation, skip the ice entirely and strain it straight up. Either way, the visual impact is absolutely stunning.

The Egg White Variation

Adding egg white to your New York Sour creates what some call a "Boston Continental" or simply a fancier version of the classic. That half ounce of egg white adds a silky texture and creates a gorgeous foam cap that the wine float sits on top of—très sophistiqué.

The foam also mellows out the acidity slightly and creates an even more impressive layered effect: foam on top, wine in the middle, sour on the bottom. It's like a trifle, but for adults who prefer whiskey to custard.

What to Serve Alongside

A New York Sour is brilliant as an aperitif—sophisticated enough to impress but not so heavy that it ruins your appetite. However, if you're serving food, consider these pairings:

Charcuterie and cheese boards - The wine float bridges the gap between the whiskey's boldness and the delicate flavors of prosciutto and aged cheddar
Smoked salmon canapés - The citrus cuts through the richness while the wine adds a lovely fruitiness
Dark chocolate desserts - The bourbon's vanilla notes and the wine's berry flavors complement chocolate beautifully
Grilled steak or lamb - Rich enough to stand up to bold flavors, balanced enough not to compete

Sophie's Final Word

The New York Sour is proof that cocktails and wine can play nicely together—who knew? It's the perfect drink for when you can't decide between a proper cocktail and a glass of red, so you say "sod it" and have both. Master that float technique, choose your wine wisely, and you'll have a cocktail that's as impressive to look at as it is to drink. Santé, darlings!