# Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour > Fresh rosemary smoke coats a chilled cut-crystal rocks glass before shaken 90-proof Kentucky bourbon, bright lemon, and 2:1 maple-demerara syrup meet a dry crimson Shiraz float over a 2-inch clear ice block. - Page: https://waituntilyoutry.com/recipe-smoked-rosemary-new-york-whiskey-sour - Tools & cookware used in this film: https://waituntilyoutry.com/recipe-smoked-rosemary-new-york-whiskey-sour#gear - Recipe film: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qq9G77SdxMY - Provenance: ROSEMARY SMOKE DOME • GOLDEN BOURBON SOUR • RUBY RED WINE FLOAT ## SMOKED ROSEMARY NEW YORK WHISKEY SOUR (1 cocktail) - 60 ml (2 oz) Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey (45% ABV) - 30 ml (1 oz) freshly squeezed Meyer or Eureka lemon juice, fine-strained - 22 ml (0.75 oz) rich amber maple-demerara syrup (2:1 sugar-to-water ratio) - 22 ml (0.75 oz) dry full-bodied ruby red wine (Shiraz, Malbec, or Merlot) - 2 dashes aromatic Angostura-style spice bitters - 1 crystal-clear 2-inch (5 cm) directional water ice cube, plus 180 g shaker ice - 2 sprigs fresh organic green rosemary (1 for glass smoking, 1 for rim garnish) - 1 ruby blood-orange wheel, notched for rim garnish ## How to make it 1. Place one fresh rosemary sprig onto a dark walnut smoking plank, ignite the needles for 3 seconds with a culinary butane micro-torch until glowing embers release thick white smoke, and invert a heavy cut-crystal double old-fashioned glass over the rosemary to coat the chilled interior in aromatic smoke. 2. Using a Japanese bell jigger, measure 60 ml Kentucky straight bourbon, 30 ml fresh strained lemon juice, 22 ml rich maple-demerara syrup, and 2 dashes aromatic bitters into a 28-oz weighted Boston shaker tin filled with ice, seal firmly, and shake hard for 12 seconds. 3. Turn the smoke-perfumed cut-crystal rocks glass upright, set one wet 2-inch directional clear-ice block flat onto the base, fit a heavy-coil Hawthorne strainer over the frosted shaker tin, and strain the chilled golden whiskey sour over the clear ice. 4. Hold the inverted bowl of a 30 cm teardrop bar spoon just above the golden whiskey sour surface beside the clear ice cube and slowly pour 22 ml dry full-bodied ruby red wine over the back of the spoon so it spreads into a sharp crimson crown. 5. Clip a ruby blood-orange wheel onto the left crystal rim and an upright fresh rosemary sprig onto the right rim, then kiss strictly the rosemary needle tips for 1.5 seconds with the blue flame of the butane micro-torch to release toasted pine aromatics right before serving. ## History Born in 1880s Chicago bars as the Continental Sour or claret snap before Manhattan bartenders made the New York Sour famous, this autumn build pairs dry red wine tannins with toasted rosemary smoke and maple-demerara depth. ## Fun fact Rich 2:1 maple-demerara syrup raises the dissolved-sugar density of the golden bourbon sour so dry fermented red wine floats cleanly across the back of a bar spoon in a sharp crimson band. Legal drinking age only. Please drink responsibly. --- ## Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour: The 1880s Red Wine Float, Explained ### What makes a Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour different from a classic Whiskey Sour? A Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour builds on a shaken bourbon, fresh lemon, and rich maple-demerara sour by coating the chilled rocks glass in fresh rosemary smoke and floating dry red wine across the top. The [International Bartenders Association](https://iba-world.com/iba-cocktail/new-york-sour/) classifies the New York Sour in its New Era canon as whiskey, lemon juice, syrup, and a top layer of Shiraz or Malbec. In this autumn variation, a 2:1 maple-demerara syrup replaces plain white sugar syrup, adding deeper caramel density below the dry crimson wine layer. Smoking the interior of the cut-crystal rocks glass first traps piney herbal aroma right against the chilled glass walls without turning the liquid bitter or ashy. ### How do you float dry red wine cleanly on top of a Whiskey Sour? A clean red wine float depends on liquid density and horizontal dispersion over the back of a bar spoon. Shaken bourbon sour sweetened with rich 2:1 maple-demerara syrup carries more dissolved sugar solids ([measured in degrees Brix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix)) than a fermented dry red wine, so the denser golden sour stays below while the lighter wine rests on top. Pouring red wine straight from a bottle or jigger punches through the surface and muddies the two layers into pink. Hold the inverted bowl of a teardrop bar spoon two to three millimeters above the golden surface beside the ice block, then trickle 22 ml (0.75 oz) of dry red wine over the curved metal back so it spreads outward in a flat crimson band. ### Bourbon, rye, and red wine: which bottles hold the cleanest layer? Choose a 45% ABV (90-proof) Kentucky straight bourbon or rye for the base and a dry, full-bodied red wine with firm tannins and deep ruby pigment for the float. Sweet fortified wines such as ruby port contain far more residual sugar and sink straight through a standard sour instead of floating. | Component | Style in This Recipe | Why It Works in the Glass | Common Substitute | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Base whiskey | Kentucky straight bourbon (45% ABV) | Corn sweetness bridges charred rosemary and maple-demerara | Straight rye whiskey for a drier, spicier finish | | Sweetener | 2:1 maple-demerara syrup | High dissolved-sugar density supports the wine float cleanly | Classic 2:1 rich cane simple syrup | | Red wine float | Dry Shiraz or Malbec (13.5%–14.5% ABV) | Dry fermentation keeps density low; dark fruit pigment forms a sharp ruby band | Dry Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon | | Ice format | Single 2-inch (5 cm) clear ice block | Melts slowly and acts as a calm baffle while pouring the float | Three large, solid home freezer cubes | ### How do you make rich maple-demerara syrup and clear ice at home? Both off-camera bar components take minutes of active work in a standard home kitchen and keep well for future drinks. To make **2:1 rich maple-demerara syrup**, combine 100 g demerara sugar, 50 g pure dark maple syrup, and 50 ml water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat at about 65°C to 75°C (149°F to 167°F). Stir for two to three minutes just until every sugar crystal dissolves—do not boil, which drives off maple aromatics—then cool to 4°C (39°F) in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. To make **crystal-clear 2-inch (5 cm) ice blocks**, use [directional freezing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_freezing) in a small open-top insulated lunch cooler filled with tap water and frozen for 24 hours at -18°C (0°F). Because the insulated walls block cold air on five sides, water freezes strictly from the top down, pushing dissolved air bubbles and minerals into the unfrozen bottom third. Lift out the clear top slab, let it temper on a cutting board for five minutes until surface frost turns glossy, and score it into 5 cm cubes with a bread knife. If you do not own a culinary butane micro-torch for smoking [fresh rosemary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary), char a dry rosemary sprig over a gas stove burner or with a long cedar match for three seconds, set it on a heatproof ceramic plate, and invert the chilled rocks glass over the glowing needles for 20 seconds. ### How do you make Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour step by step? Chill your rocks glass in the freezer for 10 minutes and squeeze fresh lemon juice through a fine mesh strainer before lighting the rosemary so assembly moves without delay. #### Ingredients (1 cocktail) - 60 ml (2 oz) Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey (45% ABV) - 30 ml (1 oz) freshly squeezed Meyer or Eureka lemon juice, fine-strained - 22 ml (0.75 oz) rich amber maple-demerara syrup (2:1 sugar-to-water ratio) - 22 ml (0.75 oz) dry full-bodied ruby red wine (Shiraz, Malbec, or Merlot) - 2 dashes aromatic Angostura-style spice bitters - 1 crystal-clear 2-inch (5 cm) directional water ice cube, plus 180 g shaker ice - 2 sprigs fresh organic green rosemary (1 for glass smoking, 1 for rim garnish) - 1 ruby blood-orange wheel, notched for rim garnish #### Method 1. Set one dry fresh rosemary sprig on a dark walnut smoking board or heatproof ceramic plate, ignite the needle tips for 3 seconds with a culinary butane micro-torch until glowing embers release thick white smoke, and invert a chilled cut-crystal double old-fashioned glass over the sprig for 20 seconds to coat the interior. 2. Measure 60 ml Kentucky straight bourbon, 30 ml strained fresh lemon juice, 22 ml chilled 2:1 maple-demerara syrup, and 2 dashes aromatic spice bitters into a weighted Boston shaker tin packed with 180 g ice, seal firmly, and shake hard for 12 seconds until the outside of the tin frosts over at roughly -3°C (27°F). 3. Turn the smoke-perfumed rocks glass upright, lower one wet 2-inch clear-ice block flat onto the base, fit a tight-coil Hawthorne strainer onto the shaker tin, and strain the golden whiskey sour over the clear ice. 4. Hold the inverted bowl of a teardrop bar spoon just above the golden sour surface beside the ice block and slowly pour 22 ml dry Shiraz or Malbec over the back of the spoon so it spreads into a crisp crimson crown. 5. Rest a notched blood-orange wheel on one rim and stand the second fresh rosemary sprig upright opposite it, then kiss the very tips of the rosemary needles for 1.5 seconds with the torch flame right before serving. ### Was the New York Sour actually invented in New York? Historical newspaper records place the drink's birth in 1880s Chicago rather than Manhattan, though the exact inventor remains contested. While the base [Whiskey Sour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_sour) appeared in Jerry Thomas's 1862 *The Bartenders Guide* and an 1870 Wisconsin newspaper notice, cocktail historians trace the red wine float—originally called a Continental Sour, Brunswick Sour, or "claret snap"—to Chicago bartenders around 1883. Manhattan bartenders adopted the claret-topped sour later in the 1880s and popularized it under the name [New York Sour](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_sour), a title cemented nationwide after Prohibition in the 1934 *Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide* and today's [IBA New Era specification](https://iba-world.com/iba-cocktail/new-york-sour/). ### Frequently asked questions #### Do you stir a New York Sour before drinking it? Leave the layers intact when serving. Sip straight through the dry crimson red wine into the cold golden bourbon sour underneath—the contrast between tannic dry wine on the nose and bright maple-lemon bourbon beneath is the whole point of the float. #### Does a New York Sour require egg white? No. Egg white (a Boston Sour base) creates a white foam collar above the red wine, turning the drink into a three-band ribbon, whereas omitting egg white lets the ruby wine sit directly on the glowing amber sour over clear ice. Both styles appear in [IBA](https://iba-world.com/iba-cocktail/new-york-sour/) and classic bar manuals. #### How strong is one Smoked Rosemary New York Whiskey Sour? Combined, 60 ml of 45% ABV bourbon and 22 ml of 14% ABV dry red wine contain about 24 g (30 ml / 1.0 fl oz) of pure ethanol—roughly 1.7 U.S. standard drinks under [National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink) guidelines, diluted to approximately 18.5% ABV after shaking with ice. Legal drinking age only; please drink responsibly. #### Why did my red wine sink instead of floating? Either the sour base lacked enough dissolved sugar or the wine was poured too fast. Use a full 2:1 rich syrup chilled cold, pick a dry table wine (under 4 g/L residual sugar) rather than sweet red blends or port, and pour slowly over the back of a spoon right at the liquid surface. ### Watch it, mix it, tell us what's next The vertical short film at the top of this page captures the rosemary smoke dome, the crimson red wine float, and the final flame kiss set to an original recipe song. Watch and follow on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@WaitUntilYouTry?sub_confirmation=1), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/WaitUntilYouTry/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==), and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@WaitUntilYouTry?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc), or [request our next dish or cocktail](https://waituntilyoutry.com/contact). *AI-created visuals. Culinary inspiration, not a complete cooking guide.* Published by WAIT UNTIL YOU TRY (https://waituntilyoutry.com). AI-created visuals. Culinary inspiration, not a complete cooking guide.