A “beautifully refreshing” red cocktail for Valentine’s Day

cocktail club

Learn how to make a Sour Patch Affair bourbon cocktail with Lone Star bartender Sabrina Kershaw.

The whiskey sour, in my humble opinion, is truly one of the greatest and most timeless classic cocktails. I’m not talking about a thoroughly mediocre mix of whiskey and sour neon that comes from a soda gun. I mean a real quality whiskey sour, well shaken and fresh. Whether you prefer it with or without an egg white, there’s no denying the beautifully refreshing character of this drink.

About a decade or two after the whiskey sour first appeared, a riff called the New York Sour arrived. This version calls for a dry red wine float and, like its predecessor, can be made with rye or bourbon along with an optional egg white. The New York Sour updates the classic cocktail with a bit more complexity and a stunning reddish/pinkish hue.

It seems quite appropriate to drink a delicious red-colored cocktail with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. The Sour Patch Affair is another sour version that’s perfect for sipping with your loved one (or on your own, after all, self-love is important).

Sour Patch Case

Ingredients

• 2oz. Bourbon
• ¾ oz. lemon juice
• ¾ oz. simple syrup
• 1 egg white (optional)
• ½ oz. ruby port (or red wine)

Instructions

Shake the bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white (if using) well over ice. Strain over fresh ice in an old-fashioned chilled glass, float the port on top and garnish with a cherry and a heart-shaped twist.

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Join our next virtual cocktail class

Join us Thursday, February 10 at 7 p.m. for Boston.com’s Cocktail Club with host Jackson Cannon and special guest Sabrina Kershaw from Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston. They’ll mix drinks with bourbon for Valentine’s Day, catch up on the local bar and restaurant scene, and share tips the pros use to make great drinks at home. Everything you need is in the shopping list here.

Sabrina Kershaw is a bartender at the Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston.