If you want to taste history tonight, I've already prepared the complete shopping list with all the ingredients. Now, the legend.
The Whisky Sour has ancient sailing origins. The "sour" template, with its balance of spirit, citrus and sugar, was born as a defense against scurvy on 17th-century British Royal Navy ships, when officers mixed gin and rum with lime juice. Its cocktail form was codified by Jerry Thomas in 1862, and the first documented "Whiskey Sour" appeared in a Wisconsin newspaper in 1870.
For over a century, the Whisky Sour remained a pillar of American bartending, loved by Presidents, writers and literary icons from Mark Twain to Ulysses S. Grant. The modern version with egg white, which creates its unmistakable silky foam, was established in the early 20th century. Today, the Whisky Sour is celebrated every August 25 as National Whisky Sour Day in the United States.
Passion for cocktails is also an equipment affair. A well-chosen barman kit like this one on Amazon is perfect for starting out without compromising on quality. And for those with a real bartender's soul, a professional cocktail bar station is the piece of furniture that finally makes entertaining at home a well-oiled ritual.