Stunning to look at, the Greenwich Sour is rich and frothy, with a band of red wine floating on top. It is a variation of a Prohibition classic, the New York Sour. The key difference between the two is that we have add an egg white in our take, a practice common throughout the history of making sours. Many people today are wary about consuming raw eggs for fear of salmonella. The risk of contamination is actually quite low and ca be reduced even more by using eggs from free-range chickens; add high-proof spirit to that, and the chances of getting sick are reduced to almost nothing. The egg white adds texture to the cocktail by trapping air and requires a very long hard shake to create the necessary consistency. Many bartenders will shake the egg white on its own first to begin this process. To give the Greenwich Sour its necessary backbone, it is important to use high-proof whiskey to cut through the sour body. The wine’s tannins add depth to the cocktail and complete its finish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 drink

　　1 3/4 ounces Wild Turkey 101-proof rye whiskey

　　3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　3/4 ounce simple syrup (page 154)

　　1 egg white

　　1 orange half-wheel, for garnish

　　1 brandied cherry (see page 36), for garnish

　　3/4 ounce dry red wine (Malbec or Syrah)

　　

Step 1

Pour the whiskey, juice, syrup, and egg white into a mixing glass. Add large cold ice cubes and shake vigorously for at least 1 minute; when your hands start to freeze and you can’t shake any more, you’ll know it’s enough. Strain into a rocks glass over large cold ice cubes. Float the red wine on top (see page 23). Garnish with the orange and cherry.

　　

tasting notes

Step 2

Dominant Flavors: whiskey and tart cherries

　　

Step 3

Body: creamy, rich texture

　　

Step 4

Dryness: medium to off-dry

　　

Step 5

Complexity: medium

　　

Step 6

Accentuating or Contrasting Flavors: red wine tannins mingling between citrus and whiskey

　　

Step 7

Finish: short dry citrus, followed by oak and wine tannins

　　

Step 8

Glass: rocks

　　Reprinted with permission from Speakeasy: The Employees Only Guide to Classic Cocktails Reimagined by Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric, © 2010 Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.