Gingerbread Whiskey Sour

Richly spiced with a velvety layer of foam on top, this Gingerbread Whiskey Sour is a festive cocktail that’s perfect for holiday parties or sipping slowly in front of the Christmas tree.

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Cocktail Tools You’ll Need

I suggest having your home bar stocked with the following tools to make shaking up this Christmas whiskey sour a little easier. 

• Cocktail Jigger — For accurately measuring out the ingredients. 
• Cocktail Shaker — Everything is dry shaken first to build the foam. 
• Cocktail Strainer — Only needed if your shaker didn’t come fitted with one. 
• Rocks or Coupe glasses — The traditional choice for whiskey sours, but any glass will work. I prefer coupe glasses.

How to Make a Gingerbread Whiskey Sour 

This recipe makes one perfect cocktail, but you can easily scale it up to make two at a time. Detailed instructions are provided in the recipe card below, but I wanted to give you a play-by-play of how the cocktail is built. 

Step 1: Dry Shake the Base

Measure the following ingredients into a cocktail shaker, then shake vigorously for 30 seconds.  

• Whiskey — Bourbon or rye work nicely in this gingerbread cocktail. 
• Freshly Squeezed Citrus Juice — Lemon is the classic “acid anchor” in a whiskey sour, but I also like to add a squeeze of fresh orange juice for a softer acidity (and to add a holiday twist!). 
• Gingerbread Simple Syrup — I like to make mine from scratch, but if I’m short on time this is the brand I prefer to buy. 
• Egg White — If consuming raw egg is a concern for you, either omit it entirely or use pasteurized eggs. I strongly suggest including the egg white, as it gives the gingerbread sour a velvety smooth texture.  

Step 2: Add Ice, Then Shake Again 

You’ll know you’ve shaken the cocktail for long enough when the shaker becomes frosty. 

Step 3: Strain and Serve 

Strain the mixture into a chilled glass, then add a few dashes of aromatic bitters. Don’t skip the aromatic bitters, because they add complexity and tie the spiced flavors and whiskey together.

I also like to garnish mine with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg (and sometimes even a gingersnap cookie, if I have some on hand!). 

Katie’s Tip: Garnish your gingerbread whiskey sour with a brûléed orange slice for a dramatic caramel aroma.

Gingerbread Whiskey Sour Recipe

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Richly spiced with a velvety layer of foam on top, this gingerbread whiskey sour is a festive cocktail that’s perfect for holiday parties or sipping slowly in front of the Christmas tree.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye whiskey
• ½ oz (15 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ oz (7 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¾ oz (22 ml) gingerbread simple syrup*
• 1 egg white (optional, for silky texture)
• Aromatic bitters
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: ground cinnamon or nutmeg, small gingersnap, or orange peel twist

Instructions

1. Shake the base(dry shake, if using egg white). Measure the whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, gingerbread syrup, and egg white into an empty cocktail shaker; don’t add any ice yet.
2. Shake the mixture vigorously, without any ice, for about 15 - 30 seconds. Dry shaking helps the egg white foam and creates that velvety, café-style head you see on craft sours.
3. Add ice and shake again. Remove the lid and add ice to the cocktail shaker. Replace the lid and shake the cocktail for 15 - 30 more seconds, until the outside of the shaker is frosty.
4. Strain and serve. Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
5. Add 2–3 drops or a small dash of bitters on top of the foam or surface just before serving. Run a toothpick through the drops of bitters to make a design if desired.
6. Garnish with a light dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg, a small gingersnap resting on the rim, or with an orange twist.

Notes

You can also garnish your cocktail with a brûléed orange slice for dramatic caramel aroma.

For an even foamier cocktail, do a reverse dry shake. Add the ingredients to your cocktail shaker, shake once WITH ice, then strain out the ice and shake for a second time.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Aromatic Bitters
• 
  Coupe Glasses
• 
  Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 
  Gold Cocktail Picks
• 
  Cocktail Shaker
• 
  Cocktail Jigger

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