Clove Bourbon Sour
A winter-leaning whiskey sour built with bourbon, fresh lemon, homemade clove syrup and a few dashes of Angostura for warm, balanced depth.
Ingredients
- 60 ml bourbon
- 25 ml fresh lemon juice
- 15 ml clove-infused simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 egg white (optional)
- 1 lemon twist (to garnish)
- 1 whole clove (to garnish)
Method
- If using egg white, add the bourbon, lemon juice, clove syrup, bitters and egg white to a shaker and dry shake without ice for 15 seconds.
- Add ice and shake hard for another 15 seconds until well chilled.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Drop two extra dashes of Angostura on the foam if using egg white, and draw a cocktail pick through for a marbled pattern.
- Garnish with a lemon twist and a single whole clove resting on top.
How to serve
- Glassware
- Coupe
- Serve temperature
- Cold
- Garnish
- Lemon twist and whole clove
The whiskey sour has been quietly perfect since the 1800s, which is why it survives so many reinventions. The clove bourbon sour is one of the better ones. It is still recognisably a sour, with the citrus and sugar and spirit holding their classic shape, but the syrup carries a winter accent that changes the entire mood of the drink.
Treating Clove with Respect
Clove is powerful and slightly unforgiving. Used well, it brings warmth, a hint of vanilla and an almost smoky undertone. Used carelessly, it dominates everything and starts to taste like a dentist’s chair. The trick is restraint. Eight whole cloves in a 200 ml batch of syrup is plenty, and ten minutes of gentle simmering is enough to draw out the flavour without leaching the harsher compounds. Taste a small spoonful from the cooled syrup before you commit; it should feel warm and rounded, not sharp.
A wheated bourbon gives the softest result here, but a higher rye bourbon works too if you want a sharper, more peppery cocktail. Either way, double strain after shaking to keep the texture clean.
The Foam Question
Egg white is optional, but worth trying. A proper dry shake followed by a wet shake gives that classic silky top, and a few drops of Angostura drawn across the foam looks beautiful. If you prefer to keep things vegan, a tablespoon of aquafaba behaves almost identically and saves the egg for breakfast.
If you enjoy spiced bourbon drinks like this one, it is worth keeping a small jar of clove syrup in the fridge year-round; it slips into hot toddies, coffee and even a simple highball with ginger ale on the days when you do not feel like measuring.
Frequently asked questions
How strong should the clove syrup be?
Use about eight whole cloves per 200 ml of syrup and infuse for no more than ten minutes. Clove gets bitter and medicinal if it steeps for too long.
Can I skip the egg white?
Yes. The sour still tastes excellent without it, you just lose the silky foam. A small splash of aquafaba is a good vegan alternative if you want the texture back.
What is the best bourbon for this drink?
A wheated bourbon with caramel and vanilla notes works beautifully because it softens the clove, but a higher rye bourbon adds an interesting peppery edge.
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