Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour

This Thanksgiving I think we all deserve a fancy cocktail. This Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour is perfect for your small socially distanced holiday gathering. It’s smooth and strong enough for the men, but pretty and sweet enough for the women.

Sour’s are typically a little harder to make for a group because they require shaking the cocktail vigorously to froth the egg white. With Thanksgiving gatherings being much smaller this year and less food being made, why not spend more time on the cocktails? This drink came out perfectly full of holiday cheer with just a hint of rosemary and maple to spice up the typical whiskey sour.

How to make the Rosemary Maple Simple Syrup

1. Make the syrup. Add the water, sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, orange zest, orange juice and rosemary to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low.
2. Steep the rosemary. Continue to heat the syrup for 15 minutes until it becomes slightly thicker. Remove from the heat and allow the rosemary to steep for an additional 30 minutes.
3. Remove the rosemary and zest. Using a fine mesh seive, pour the syrup through into a mason jar to catch the rosemary and orange zest. Discard the rosemary and orange zest. The syrup will stay good for up to 1 month in the fridge.

Make the Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour

1. Shake the cocktail. Add the bourbon, rosemary maple simple syrup, lemon juice, bitters and egg white to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake the cocktail vigorously to break down the egg white, at least 1 minute. The more you shake the more froth you will get.
2. Strain the cocktail. Pour the cocktail though the strainer into a coupe glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and edible dried rose petals. (optional)

Tips and Tricks

• Really shake this cocktail hard. If you don’t the egg white won’t froth. I typically cover my cocktail shaker with a clean kitchen towel so my hands don’t get cold. A good rule of thumb is that the cocktail is done when the sides of the shaker frost up. If your arms get tired, that’s what husbands are for.
• Don’t skip the rosemary garnish. It adds to the aroma of the drink when you take a sip. For added drama you can light the top of the rosemary to smoke it and add to the scent.
• Use good quality egg whites. The bourbon will kill any bacteria, making the egg whites safe to drink raw, but it’s still better to use a better quality egg.
• Let the syrup cool completely. If you don’t it will cook the egg white. No one wants cooked egg white chunks in their cocktail.
• Make the syrup ahead of time. You can make the syrup ahead and keep it chilled in the fridge for up to 1 month.
• Don’t make a large batch of this cocktail at once. Because of the egg white, make each drink individually.

Alterations

1. Have some limes laying around but no lemons? You can swap the lemon for lime juice.
2. Not a fan of egg whites in your drink? First of all its amazing and you really should give it a try, but if you can’t get past it the syrup would also be amazing in an Old Fashioned.

Looking for more holiday recipes? Try these:

• Salted Caramel Rose Apple Pie
• Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with Charred Poblanos