Updated May 2026.
The IBA Whiskey Sour is 45 ml bourbon, 25 ml fresh lemon, and 20 ml sugar syrup (egg white optional). That 45 ml of 40% bourbon is one NIAAA standard drink; at 45% it is 1.13. “Best bourbon” is a bottle that still tastes like bourbon after lemon — not a 2022 top-15 tasting. 90–100 proof is the working band.
80-proof White Label can taste thin under citrus. Bonded (100 proof) holds up. Related: Old Fashioned bourbon, IBA drink math.
What the shaker actually needs
| Job | Typical bottles | Why |
|---|---|---|
| IBA default 40–50% | Buffalo Trace 90, Woodford 90.4, Wild Turkey 101 | Holds up to lemon; 27 CFR 5.143 |
| Bonded | Evan Williams Bonded, Jim Beam Bonded, Old Grand-Dad Bonded | 100 proof (27 CFR 5.88) |
| Wheat / softer | Maker’s Mark 90 | Wheat in the flavoring-grain slot |
| Skip | Honey / cinnamon whiskey | Different class; sugar on sugar |
Four IBA sours at 40% are four drinks from the whiskey. Egg white does not add ethanol. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. No 2026 MSRP.
Sources
- IBA Whiskey Sour (fetched 2026): 45 ml bourbon, 25 ml lemon, 20 ml syrup, optional egg white.
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143; bonded 27 CFR 5.88. NIAAA (December 2025). No invented ranking.