Classic Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour predates the Civil War. It appeared in Jerry Thomas's 1862 bartending guide, the first of its kind, where it stood alongside the mint julep as proof that Americans could craft cocktails worthy of any European salon. The formula was elegant then and remains so now: spirit, citrus, sweet.

Bourbon is the only honest choice here. Rye works if that's your preference, but bourbon's vanilla and caramel notes marry more gracefully with lemon. Choose something you'd happily sip straight. Mid-shelf bottles between forty and fifty dollars reward you handsomely. Save the expensive single barrels for neat pours.

The egg white question divides bartenders to this day. I say make it both ways. The foamed version is dinner party material, a drink that arrives looking like it required more skill than it did. The streamlined version is what you make at ten o'clock on a Thursday when you want something sophisticated without the ceremony. Both are correct. Both are delicious.