Boston Sour

The Boston Sour is a Whiskey Sour shaken with egg white. The egg adds no flavour to speak of; what it adds is texture — a dense, pale foam that crowns the drink and makes every sip softer.

Egg White as Texture

Egg white is a textural ingredient. Shaken hard, its proteins whip into a stable foam that smooths the drink's sharp edges and gives it a luxurious, almost creamy body — all without making it taste of egg.

The Dry Shake

The technique is the point. Shake the drink once without ice — the 'dry shake' — to let the egg aerate, then again with ice to chill and dilute it. Skip the dry shake and you get a thin, disappointing foam.

A Note on the Egg

Use a fresh, good-quality egg. A few drops of bitters on the finished foam both decorate it and mask any faint aroma. Aquafaba — the brine from a tin of chickpeas — makes a surprisingly good vegan substitute.

The Whiskey Sour Family