Whiskey Sour Recipe (DWWS)

This Whiskey Sour Recipe is perfect on a hot summer day or at the beach.  Only 4 ingredients - Windsor Canadian Whiskey, frozen pink lemonade, water and ice.  Mix together and you are ready for drinks on the patio, deck or the boat.   

Jump to:

• What is a Whiskey sour?
• Whiskey Sour Recipe Inspiration
• Which Whiskey To Use In A Whiskey Sour?
• DWWS The Ingredients….
• Whiskey Sour Recipe (DWWS)
• Related
• Share Your DWWS Moment

What is a Whiskey sour?

This is not your classic whiskey sour recipe as it skips the egg whites - which define any "sour" cocktail and provide a distinctive foam on the top when shaken.  

Few cocktails are as iconic as the whiskey sour. Perhaps its the three-ingredient simplicity-whiskey, lemon and sugar- have kept the cocktail as a mainstay in American culture for over 150 years.

While variations exist, the sour as we know it today is from the same time-period as the Old Fashioned and White Russian dating from the mid-1800s.

At its most basic, a sour is a spirit, lemon juice, sugar and water for dilution, usually in the form of ice.

Whiskey became the spirit of choice in America, following its first recorded mention dating to a January 4, 1870 edition of a Wisconsin newspaper, the Waukesha Plaindealer, in a satirical article written by "Terence McGrant," a fictional character created by politician and writer George W. Peck, who purported to be an Irish cousin to U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.

1. "Photo from newspaperarchive.com. Magnified section". Waukesha Plaindealer. January 4, 1870. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011.

I had to include this artifact, as my mom is a retired Methodist pastor, and I love the reference to the Methodist ordering another whisky sour!

Whiskey Sour Recipe Inspiration

Since the 1960's, the Dr. John Werley family (my husband's father) spent a couple of weeks out of every year at the beach on Hatteras Island, North Carolina where there was always a cocktail hour on the deck before dinner. 

This Whiskey Sour Recipe was Dr. Werley's creation, and friends quicky dubbed it the DWWS (Dr. Werley Whiskey Sour).

Created in the era of Betty Crocker - not many ingredients and not more than 3 steps - the DWWS keeps things simple:   1 can of frozen pink lemonade (yes, it MUST be pink), Windsor Canadian Whiskey and water all served in an old fashioned glass poured over ice  with a splash of maraschino cherry juice.  Don't forget to add a cherry or two! No egg whites or simple syrup needed in this recipe.

Sadly, we lost John,  known as "JD"  in January of 2020.  Yet, the DWWS tradition lives on.  Thank you JD for introducing us to DWWS's!

Here's a toast to all the happy DWWS moments and those yet to come.  "Cheers!"

Which Whiskey To Use In A Whiskey Sour?

There is a difference between Canadian Whiskey and American Whiskey, primarily driven by a less regulated Canadian whiskey industry.  

Canadian whiskey is more likely to be blended creating a smooth and lighter taste than American whiskey. Rye is often added in large amounts to Canadian whiskey since it enhances the flavor. 

And, for these reasons when making the DWWS recipe we recommend the smoother and lighter taste of Canadian Whiskey.

DWWS The Ingredients….

• Windsor Canadian Whiskey: Do not substitute Bourbon Whiskey!  On a ski trip with our friends the Nelson's, we decided to make DWWS's but could not find Windsor Canadian and substituted for bourbon - Big Mistake.

I believe it is because Canadian Whiskey has a more mellow and softer flavor, when compared to American Whiskey.  Our recommendation is to go with Windsor Canadian. 

Here's what the Windsor folks have to say:

A light, delicately flavored whiskey…bright gold in color with a fruity aroma, …peppery spice and light caramel and dry vanilla finish.  Exhibits higher rye notes than alternatives.  Made with Alberta rye and cereals and glacial stream water of western Canada…and aged a mile-high in the Canadian Rockies.

…There you go!

• Frozen Pink Lemonade: For some reason, pink lemonade only works with this recipe.  I have not tried using the "yellow" frozen lemonade as it just doesn't feel like a DWWS.  Don't mess with perfection, I guess.
• Maraschino Cherries and Juice:   Nothing better than a cocktail drink with a maraschino cherry (or two!) plus a splash of the cherry juice to round out the flavor of this cocktail.

That's it - sooo easy, and so refreshing.  You have to give it a try - it will surely delight.   

When I describe this to friends, they are not sure what to think, but after one sip - they are believers!

Cheers!

See recipe card for ingredient measurements.

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