A bar that doesn’t serve a whiskey sour isn’t a real bar. You could say. Because the whiskey sour is a classic that never goes out of style. Who invented it? A certain Jerry Thomas is said to have coined the term “sour” in his bar book, which he published in 1862. Back then, however, it was about a brandy drink. His whiskey cocktail, on the other hand, was quite close to a whiskey sour.
Others attribute the whiskey sour to Elliot Stubb. According to Argentina’s University del Cuyo, the British steward first conjured up the drink in 1872. In short: we don’t know exactly. Even when it comes to the style, there is disagreement – some prefer it with protein, others without it. Some like it without ice cream, others with it.
The classic whiskey sour has always been a muse for bartenders and a source of inspiration for countless cocktails. The base, consisting of whiskey, citrus juice, sugar syrup (and egg white), was repeatedly supplemented, “refined” and further developed with additional additives. The Miso Sour is also one of these further developments. Think of it a bit like the Japanese cousin of the whiskey sour.
It’s also a perfect example of a trend that’s been spreading in bars for quite some time. Bartenders are increasingly using ingredients in their mixtures that create the hearty umami taste and thus a special complexity – seaweed is one of them, but also tahini, mushrooms or miso. How does that taste? Try it!
The Miso Sour is a Japanese variant of the Whiskey Sour. If you want to remix it in style, use Japanese whiskey and yuzu instead of lemons. This is a citrus fruit that tastes like a hybrid of lime and tangerine. White miso paste delivers the umami punch.
Ingredients
50ml (Japanese) whiskey25ml lemon or yuzu juice15ml sugar syrupBar spoon white miso15ml egg white or equivalent foaming agent
Ice cubes and ginger as a garnish
This is how it is mixed
Add the ingredients to a shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Add the ice cubes and shake again until the drink is well chilled. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with ginger. Kanpai!
