5 Ways to Reinvent the Whiskey Sour Recipe for National Sour Candy Day
Whiskey sours are the perfect year-round cocktail to please every guest. That's because they're not too sweet, not too sour—they're just right. But instead of sticking to a regular recipe, why not give your whiskey sours a spin by incorporating candy? This National Sour Candy Day (and any day in between) give these candy-inspired cocktails a try.
Traditional Whiskey Sour Recipe
To learn how to modify a whiskey sour with candy, let's first start at the beginning.
Every whiskey sour is made with:
- Whiskey
- Lemon Juice
- Lime Juice
- Simple Syrup
- Marachino Cherry Garnish
To make a basic whiskey sour for four, combine the first four ingredients in a shaker and mix vigorously. Then, pour into four glasses with ice and one or two cherries.
Skittles Whiskey Sour Mix Recipe
Normally, with Skittles infused vodka you'd need to separate out each Skittle by color or you'd wind up with a brown vodka—not so pretty to look at. Since whiskey is already brown, you can skip a step!
To infuse your whiskey, start with:
- 16 ounces of whiskey
- 75 orange and yellow Skittles
Combine the ingredients in a glass container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours (48 is best). Then, strain remaining Skittles through a cloth (cheesecloth) so that the whiskey comes out smooth. Complement your Skittles-infused whiskey by making the traditional whiskey sour recipe we've included above. Just cut back on the added sugar since the Skittles will add a lot of sweetness.
Sour Patch Kid Whiskey Sour Recipe
All Sour Patch Kid colors taste pretty much the same. Plus, like the Skittles recipe pointed out above, you don't need to separate colors since whiskey is already brown. Yay!
To infuse your own whiskey with Sour Patch Kids, combine
- 1 cup Sour Patch Kids
- 2 cups whiskey
The important thing to know here is the 1:2 ratio (Sour Patch Kids to whiskey). Depending on how much whiskey you need, up the recipe. As is, this recipe should start you with enough booze for one round of drinks for sixteen guests (if using one ounce of alcohol in each whiskey sour).
Lemonhead Whiskey Sour Recipe
A whiskey sour is a combination of lemon and lime juice, sugar, and whiskey. That's why Lemonheads make such a fantastic candy infusion!
To make your own Lemonhead-infused whiskey for your Lemonhead whiskey sour, you'll need to mix
- 2 cups whiskey
- 1/4 cup Lemonheads
Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Anything less and it won't be strong enough to taste. Also, consider the sugar content. You probably won't need to combine as much sugar into your whiskey sour cocktail since Lemonheads have a burst of sweetness.
Jolly Rancher Whiskey Sour Recipe
Instead of infusing whiskey, this recipe focuses on the syrup. That means you'll be able to use this Jolly Rancher-infused syrup in all sorts of other cocktails and mocktails too like Cosmopolitans, lemonades, and more.
To create your own Jolly Rancher simple syrup you need to
- Unwrap 50 lemon and lime Jolly Rancher candies
- Put them in a sauce pan with just enough water to cover
- Heat while stirring until all of the candy is dissolved
- Let it cool
- Add to your whiskey sours to make them as sweet or tart as you'd like!
Just remember that it only takes about two Jolly Ranchers to sweeten one cup of liquid!
Candied Lemon Whiskey Sour Garnish
Instead of a cherry, try a homemade candied lemon for your candy-inspired whiskey sour recipe! You can also buy candied lemons at the store, but they'll be much more expensive than if you just make them yourself.
Whiskey sours are the perfect mix of strong, sweet, and sour. If you love candy and this traditional cocktail, let us know how you enjoy making these candy-infused whiskey sours at home. Also, be sure to check out our top candy-infused vodka recipes. Whichever you choose, just remember to drink responsibly!