In order to mark National Whiskey Sour Day – yes, there is such a thing – Diageo has launched the ready-to-drink Crown Royal Black Cherry Whisky Sour.
Made with blended Canadian whisky, lemon juic and natural black cherry flavors, the new expression offers a balanced Whisky Sour with a delightful hint of sweet black cherry. Simply pour over ice in a rocks glass, garnish with a cherry, and enjoy. No bartender is necessary and you don’t have to go out and buy the ingredients just to make the drink on National Whiskey Sour Day, which is Aug. 24.
The Crown Royal Black Cherry Whisky Sour is available in 350 mL (SRP: $13.99) and 750 mL (SRP: $25.99) sizes, each bottle serves four or eight cocktails, respectively, with an average ABV of 20%. It can be found in liquor stores and on ReserveBar.
The Whiskey Sour is one of the few cocktails that gets its own national day. There are days for beer, wine and other spirits but just a few have a day devoted to them. National Margarita Day is Feb. 22 and National Martini Day is June 19. National Bloody Mary Day is when you think it should be – on New Year’s Day after New Year’s Eve! For a complete list of all national and international drink & cocktail days, click here.
Tracing back to the 1800s when bourbon, along with rum, was a necessary provision on sailing ships to avoid scurvy (along with lots of vitamin C so lemons and oranges were also on board), the Whiskey Sour eventually became a popular drink in bars. It was said to have been created in a bar in Peru by Elliot Staub, a former ship steward.
The first mention of the cocktail was in 1862 from Jerry Thomas’ The Bartenders Guide.