Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour Recipe (No Egg)
This easy Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour recipe is made with your choice of bourbon or whiskey, fresh lemon juice and a simple homemade honey syrup for a delicious twist on a classic whiskey sour. Honey and lemon is one of my favorite flavor pairings which works super well in this quick and easy whiskey drink!
Why you’ll love this Honey Whiskey Sour
This delicious Whiskey Sour with Lemon and Honey is a sweet twist on a traditional whiskey sour. The honey really makes this!
I challenge you to find a single whiskey lover who does not love a good whiskey sour. (I used bourbon whiskey in this cocktail as I think the two liquors are virtually interchangeable).
A sour is a great whiskey cocktail recipe for adding different flavors to. In the summer months I love a good Strawberry Whiskey Sour, but for year-round? You’re going to love my Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour recipe.
Related: Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey Sour
It’s sweet but not too sweet, and has a good hit of citrus but it is not *too* sour. And made with your choice of whiskey or bourbon, with a splash of simple syrup to balance things out?
I don’t use eggs in my recipe as I feel like a lot of at-home cocktail makers find it too overwhelming. I don’t think you’re missing anything without it. If you’re open to it, read how to use eggs in cocktails.
You’ll love this simple honey syrup hack I show you also. Sometimes making simple syrup is too time-consuming, so this trick is fantastic!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Whiskey Honey Sour recipe (otherwise known as a Gold Rush Cocktail):
- bourbon or whiskey
- lemon juice
- honey
- pure vanilla extract
- orange peel and maraschino cherry, for garnish
Both bourbon and whiskey, or even scotch work really well in this recipe, and you can really taste them so use your favorite of whatever you’ve got to hand.
There are a variety of honey types. Use what you have or you can look for something with more flavor like an orange-blossom honey.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and full recipe.
Directions
Step 1
To a small bowl, add the water and microwave for 10 seconds. Add the honey and stir to dissolve slightly.
Make sure it’s cooled a little bit before adding to the rest of the ingredients or it will end up melting the ice.
Step 2
Add the honey syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add the lemon juice and bourbon/whiskey.
Step 3
Add the vanilla (just a splash, I like to keep this subtle).
Step 4
Add ice and shake well.
Serve
Strain the honey whiskey sour into a cocktail glass (a coupe glass or lowball glass would work well here!).
I don’t think you need to use the “right” glassware for cocktails. Use what you have or what fits your service needs. A coupe glass, however, is always a great look.
A traditional whiskey sour garnish is a slice of orange peel and maraschino cherry. But you can garnish this whiskey honey sour any way you like, in my opinion!
Variations
- Use maple syrup – for a slightly different sweet note, sub the honey for maple syrup in this whiskey sour.
- Add egg – If you’re feeling up to it, add the egg white foam for a traditional sour finish.
- Add amaretto – switch 0.5 oz of the bourbon or whiskey for amaretto for a next-level Amaretto Sour!
Frequently Asked Questions
You could in place of the lemon, but I think you’d lose those classic, comforting lemon / honey vibes if you did not use fresh lemon juice here. You’d still get a tasty drink though! And, OMG, make sure you don’t buy the “diet” version of sour mix. My husband accidentally did this last week and the drinks were awful!
Sure! Serve it over the rocks so it dilutes as you drink it. This will help it stay super cold, too! And you can always cut back on the amount of liquor you use as well as how much honey you use. To get the honey flavor, I needed to use more honey, but you can scale back if you prefer.
More sour cocktails
More easy whiskey cocktail recipes
- Best Strawberry Whiskey Sour Recipe (without egg white)
- Blackberry Lemonade Recipe with Whiskey
- Apple Cider Whiskey Mule Cocktail Recipe
- Simple Whiskey Mule Recipe (Kentucky Mule)
- Best Scotch Moscow Mule Recipe
Save and Pin this recipe for later!
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A Honey Lemon Whiskey Sour for any occasion!
Ingredients
- 1 oz bourbon or whiskey
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract You just want a splash!
- orange peel and maraschino cherry to garnish
Instructions
- To a small bowl, add the water and microwave for 10 seconds. Add the honey snd stir to dissolve slightly. Let cool slightly.
- Add the honey syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and bourbon or whiskey to a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and shake well.
- Strain into a cocktail glass and add the garnish.
Notes
-
- Use maple syrup – for a slightly different sweet note, sub the honey for maple syrup in this whiskey sour with lemon and honey.
-
- Add egg – If you’re feeling up to it, add the egg white foam for a traditional sour finish.
-
- Add amaretto – switch 0.5 oz of the bourbon or whiskey for amaretto for a next-level Amaretto Sour!
Nutrition
These images were created by my friend, Jackie Culmer Creative. Her photography work is gorgeous and I’m grateful she wanted to collaborate!
