We discovered the New York Sour in the summer of 2003 while we were researching cocktails to put on the opening drink list for Keith McNally’s Schiller’s Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side. Visually inviting, this sour is deep yellow with a crimson band of red wine floating on top. The origin of the cocktail is shrouded in mystery, but it is certain that it was served at several New York City speakeasies in the late 1920s. It was no surprise to discover that this cocktail was New York’s Prohibition-era favorite, probably because the lemon juice, sugar, and wine camouflaged and successfully balanced the bad watered-down whiskey common in those days. It was the cool drink to have, and people who ordered it were “in the know.” Think of it as the Prohibition-era Cosmo—or any other status-symbol cocktail that clearly advertises itself in appearance. Made with better ingredients, the cocktail became a masterpiece of complex flavors and mouthfeel. A chef friend of ours once remarked that this drink is like sangria à la minute—and one of the few cocktails that can be successfully paired with a main course.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 drink

　　1 3/4 ounces Rittenhouse 100-proof rye whiskey

　　3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　3/4 ounce simple syrup (page 154)

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

　　1 orange half-wheel, for garnish

　　1 brandied cherry (see page 36), for garnish

　　

Step 1

Pour the whiskey, juice, and syrup into a mixing glass. Add large cold ice cubes and shake vigorously. Strain over large cold new ice cubes into a rocks glass. Carefully float the wine on top (see page 23). Garnish with the orange and cherry.

　　

tasting notes

Step 2

Dominant Flavors: whiskey, citrus, and stone fruits

　　

Step 3

Body: crisp, medium

　　

Step 4

Dryness: medium to dry, with crisp acidity

　　

Step 5

Complexity: medium

　　

Step 6

Accentuating or Contrasting Flavors: oak and wine tannins

　　

Step 7

Finish: short crisp citrus followed by red 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.