Clarified Whiskey Sour
The Clarified Whiskey Sour is bourbon, lemon and simple syrup, poured into milk to curdle and then strained through a coffee filter until crystal clear. The milk removes color and haze and leaves a silky, rounded texture. Served over one large clear cube, it can be made days ahead, which makes it ideal for Thanksgiving week.
- GlassRocks
- MethodStirred
- Ingredients4
Directions
- Stir the bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup in a glass to combine.
- Pour the milk into a separate container, then slowly pour the cocktail into the milk. It will curdle, which is what you want.
- Let it sit undisturbed for 10 minutes so the curds settle.
- Strain through a coffee filter. The first few drops run cloudy, so pour them back through, then let the rest drip through slowly until clear.
- Stir the clarified cocktail with ice until thoroughly chilled and strain into a double rocks glass over one large clear cube.
ToolsJiggerMixing glassBar spoonJulep strainerRocks glass
Don't have these? Build a drink from your shelf →History
Milk clarification dates back to at least the 17th century, when English cooks made milk punch. Benjamin Franklin wrote down a milk punch recipe in 1763. Modern bartenders revived the technique for clear, shelf-stable cocktails.
Making a batch? Scale it for a crowd, add dilution water, and see how many bottles to buy.
What you'll need to buy
Based on 750ml bottles (25.4 oz), rounded up.
Bottle math, generally
Batching dilution
When you batch, there's no ice melting in a shaker, so you add the water yourself: 18% for spirit-forward drinks, 25% for shaken ones.
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