Who invented the Whiskey Sour?

No single inventor is documented. The earliest written mention appears in an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper, though sailors were mixing spirits with citrus for scurvy prevention as early as the 18th century, and Jerry Thomas's 1862 guide had already codified the sour format.

Can I make a Whiskey Sour without egg white?

Yes — the drink still works, though you'll lose the silky foam cap. Aquafaba (chickpea brine) is the closest vegan substitute and whips into a similar texture.

Do I need real fire to smoke the glass?

Yes — this technique relies on an actual smoldering cinnamon stick trapped under an inverted glass; there's no liquid or spray substitute that produces the same aroma.

How do I scale a Whiskey Sour up for a party?

Batch the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup in advance, but shake and smoke each serving individually — egg white foam and glass smoke don't hold up to scaling in bulk.

Whiskey · Sour · Spicy

Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Sour Recipe

A classic whiskey sour, finished with real fireplace smoke trapped under the glass. Smoky and citrus-bright — a classic Whiskey Sour finished with real fireplace smoke trapped under the glass. Built for a cold evening when a cocktail should do a little theater on its way to the table.

Prep Time: 3 min
Method: Shaken
Glass: Rocks glass
Strength: Balanced

Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.

Last updated October 20, 2026

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About the Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour's exact birthplace is genuinely disputed — the earliest documented mention appears in an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper, though sailors were mixing whiskey with citrus and sugar as a scurvy remedy as far back as the 18th century, and a bartender named Elliot Staub claimed to have "invented" the drink in a Peruvian bar in 1872. What's certain is that Jerry Thomas's 1862 Bartender's Guide already codified the sour format decades before anyone agreed on who gets the credit.

The base 2:0.75:0.75 (bourbon:lemon:syrup) ratio is the format every sour shares — enough sweetener to round off the citrus without burying the whiskey. Dry-shaking the egg white before the ice shake is what gives this version its silky, long-lasting foam — skip that step and the same ingredients pour flat.

Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Sour cocktail served in a Rocks glass

Ingredients

Servings

Bourbon2 oz
Fresh lemon juice¾ oz
Rich simple syrup (2:1)¾ oz
Egg white (or Fee Foam)½ oz
Angostura bitters2 dashes
Cinnamon stick1, for smoking and garnish
Orange peel1, for garnish

2 dashes in this recipe = 4 dashes if using a Japanese-style dasher top.

Method

Measure and pour the bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters into a shaker.
Add the egg white.
Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
Shake for 15 seconds.
Strain the cocktail back into the shaker, discarding the ice.
Dry shake for 15 seconds.
Light one end of the cinnamon stick and invert an empty rocks glass over it to trap the smoke for 30-60 seconds.
Fill the smoked glass with ice.
Fine-strain the cocktail into the glass.
Cut a swath of orange peel.
Express the peel over the drink and drop it in, alongside the spent cinnamon stick.

Shaking the Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Sour into a chilled rocks glass

Close-up of the garnish on a Smoked Cinnamon Whiskey Sour, expressed over the glass

Glass & Garnish

Rocks glass, over ice. Garnish with an orange twist and the reserved cinnamon stick from the smoking step. The classic whiskey sour usually finishes with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry, but here the smoked cinnamon stick stands in for the cherry, since the smoke is the point of the drink.

Notes

For a party, batch the bourbon, lemon, and syrup ahead, but hold the egg white and smoke step until each glass is poured — foam and smoke don't survive standing. The most common miss is skipping the dry shake — that's what actually builds the foam. Pairs well with anything off the grill, especially something with its own char.

Tools Used

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Cocktail shaker Jigger Hawthorne strainer Fine strainer Y-peeler Cocktail Smoker Rocks / Old Fashioned glass

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FAQ

Who invented the Whiskey Sour?: No single inventor is documented. The earliest written mention appears in an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper, though sailors were mixing spirits with citrus for scurvy prevention as early as the 18th century, and Jerry Thomas's 1862 guide had already codified the sour format.
Can I make a Whiskey Sour without egg white?: Yes — the drink still works, though you'll lose the silky foam cap. Aquafaba (chickpea brine) is the closest vegan substitute and whips into a similar texture.
Do I need real fire to smoke the glass?: Yes — this technique relies on an actual smoldering cinnamon stick trapped under an inverted glass; there's no liquid or spray substitute that produces the same aroma.
How do I scale a Whiskey Sour up for a party?: Batch the bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup in advance, but shake and smoke each serving individually — egg white foam and glass smoke don't hold up to scaling in bulk.

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