Shake hard and fine strain over fresh ice
Whiskey Sour
Bright lemon, rounded bourbon, and a gently bittersweet finish.
Shake hard with ice, fine-strain, and dot the foam with bitters
Pisco Sour
A Peruvian sour shaken with pasteurized egg white for a smooth cap of foam, then finished with aromatic bitters.
Edited by CocktailSteps Editorial Team
- Time
- 5 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Glass
- Goblet
- Approx. ABV
- 20% · Medium-high
- Tradition
- Peruvian–Chilean
- Profile
- Sweet · Sour · Citrus · Bitter
Ingredient totals
Ingredients
Amounts below make one drink. The method, Quick Check, and guided Make use these one-glass amounts.
2 ozPiscoRecommended brandBarsol Primero Quebranta Pisco
1 ozFresh lemon juiceRecommended brandSunkist Lemon
0.67 ozSimple syrupRecipe specification1:1 white sugar to water, by weight
Stir 100 g white sugar with 100 g warm water until no crystals remain, then cool before measuring into the drink. Use a scale: equal cups of sugar and water give a different concentration. A richer 2:1 syrup or a concentrated bottled cane syrup needs a smaller measure, not an equal-volume swap; check the bottle’s specification.
1 piecePasteurized egg whiteRecommended brandFresh pasteurized egg white
3 dashesAromatic bittersOptionalRecommended brandANGOSTURA Aromatic Bitters
Measured method · one drink
How to make Pisco Sour
These steps make one glass. For more drinks, use the ingredient totals above to set up, then repeat this method for each serving.
- 01
Add the pisco
2 oz pisco
Pour 2 oz pisco into the shaker.
Add the pisco visual check - 02
Add the lemon
1 oz fresh lemon juice
Pour 1 oz fresh lemon juice into the shaker.
Add the lemon visual check - 03
Add the syrup
⅔ oz simple syrup
Pour ⅔ oz simple syrup into the shaker.
Add the syrup visual check - 04
Add the egg white
1 pasteurized egg white
Pour 1 pasteurized egg white into the shaker.
Add the egg white visual check - 05
Fill the shaker with ice
Cubed ice · fill shaker
Fill the shaker with cubed ice.
Fill the shaker with ice visual check - 06
Shake hard
Shake hard · 12 sec
Shake hard for 12 seconds to chill and aerate the sour.
Shake hard visual check - 07
Fine-strain into the goblet
Fine-strain · chilled goblet
Fine-strain the shaken sour into a chilled goblet.
Fine-strain into the goblet visual check - 08
Dot with bitters
3 dashes aromatic bitters
Add 3 dashes of aromatic bitters to the foam.
Dot with bitters visual check
Shake hard for 12 seconds to chill and aerate the sour.
AI-assisted illustration of one step. Follow the measured method above; sound is optional.Key move
Use pasteurized egg white and shake hard enough to build a stable foam
Technique note
Why this build works
The 2 ounces of pisco remain clear against 1 ounce of fresh lemon, while ⅔ ounce of simple syrup softens the acid without matching it volume for volume. One pasteurized egg white contributes protein that can trap air and round the texture; the amount of foam also depends on the product and shaking technique. A vigorous shake with ice combines chilling, dilution, and aeration. Treat the suggested time as a guide, not a promise of foam. Fine straining removes ice fragments so the foam can settle evenly in the goblet, and three measured dashes of bitters add aroma on top rather than muddying the pale drink beneath.
Common failure points
- The foam is loose or separates before serving.
- Use the equivalent of one pasteurized egg white, following the carton measure if needed. Keep the shaker free of yolk and grease, leave room for movement, and check whether the product is suitable for whipping.
- Ice fragments break through the foam.
- Fine strain into the chilled goblet instead of using only the shaker strainer.
Measure or substitute
Amargo Chuncho bitters can replace aromatic bitters at the same 3-dash measure. Keep the lemon at 1 ounce and syrup at ⅔ ounce rather than rounding both to equal measures.
Recipe references
These references describe the drink or its ingredients. Our measured build and teaching notes are CocktailSteps adaptations; proportions and methods may differ from the reference.
Set the station
Tools
JiggerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom Japanese Style Jigger
Cocktail shakerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom KORIKO Shaking Tins
Fine strainerRecommended brandCocktail Kingdom COCO Mesh Cone
GobletRecommended brandLibbey Embassy Goblet
Choose your bottle
Bottle buying guide
Best fit is our default. Spend less with Smart buy, or choose Upgrade when you want more character.
Pisco
Aromatic bitters
Know the pour
Medium-high
Two ounces of pisco remain prominent after shaking and dilution.
Contains alcohol and egg. Use only pasteurized egg white, keep it chilled, and serve only to adults of legal drinking age.
