“Mayan Sour” (Spiced Banana Whiskey Sour)
A couple years ago my friend and I did a girls’ weekend in Charleston (in the middle of summer, which…wowza, HOT!!), and one night had drinks at an awesome rooftop bar. I saw this “Mayan Sour” on the menu and knew I had to have it…and recreate it!
So here is a delicious, unique spiced banana whiskey sour…trust me, you need to try this!
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How to make banana-infused bourbon
Rather than using banana liqueur (though I’m sure that would be delicious), this instead leans on a banana-infused bourbon. Which sounds fancy, but it’s really the easiest thing ever.
All you need is bourbon, a just-ripe but definitely NOT headed toward overripe banana, and…a week or so? There’s not an exact ratio, but I used a cup of bourbon (pour it in a mason jar) and then just cut a banana into slices and toss into the bourbon (make sure the banana is totally covered).
Put the lid on and let the banana steep for at least a week…I left it on the counter for a day or two, then threw it in the fridge. After at least a week, put a paper towel in a mesh strainer and pour the bourbon through there. Do that same filtering one more time, to make sure you get any little bits or gunk out of the bourbon. Store in the fridge.
You can see more about our Charleston girls weekend here!
The result of using the banana-infused bourbon is that the banana flavor is SO refreshing and subtle. It also lets the bourbon really shine through, rather than having a more cloying or somewhat-fake banana taste.
You need to try this…and you’ll feel so fancy making an infused bourbon!
I LOVE a beautiful cocktail glass…here’s where I get a lot of mine!
Do I really need egg white?
As with all whiskey sours, I really do believe the egg white makes the drink. Don’t be scared! I’ve found a good technique for shaking egg whites too, to make sure it’s not gloopy or weird.
Basically, we’re doing three separate quick shakes:
- You shake ONLY the egg white first in the shaker, for like 15-20 seconds (a “dry” shake).
- Add the rest of the liquid ingredients to the egg whites and shake another 15 seconds.
- Finally we add the ice as well and shake 10-15 seconds.
Don’t forget to taste it and make sure it’s exactly where you want it before pouring into your glass!
The egg white gives it such an amazing mouthfeel and kind of…slightly softens the flavors? I feel like they all meld a tiny bit better and are less sharp when the egg white is included.
I’m absolutely in love with this Mayan Sour, and now that I’ve tried making a banana-infused bourbon, I want to see what other delicious things I can infuse!
Other delicious twists on a whiskey sour that you’ll love:
- Blood Orange Amaretto Whiskey Sour
- A Perfect Amaretto Sour Cocktail (with Bourbon)
- “New York” Sour, A Perfect Fall Whiskey Cocktail
- Cinnamon Cranberry Whiskey Sour (With or Without Egg White)
- Sage Advice: A Winter Bourbon Cocktail
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Mayan Sour: Spiced Banana Whiskey Sour Cocktail
This subtle, refreshing spiced banana whiskey sour (a "Mayan Sour") is absolutely delicious! It relies on banana-infused bourbon, which is super easy to make and really elevates the flavors in this cocktail. Try this twist on a classic whiskey sour!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of banana-infused bourbon (see notes, it's easy!)
- 3/4 ounce (or a bit more) of cinnamon simple syrup
- 3/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice
- Optional: a dash of hummingbird bitters
- 1 egg white
Instructions
- If you're using the egg white (which I STRONGLY recommend), put that in the shaker first and give it a really strong "dry" shake by itself for 15-20 seconds.
- Then add the banana-infused bourbon, lemon juice, cinnamon simple syrup, and bitters (if using) to the egg white in the shaker, and shake for another 15 seconds.
- THEN, add ice to the shaker and give the mixture another shake for 10-15 seconds (to cool it down, mostly, plus a little more emulsifying and getting a really good foam).
- Taste to make sure it's balanced to your personal taste. You can always add a little more of anything to get it there.
- Strain into a coupe glass and garnish as desired...dehydrated citrus slice is nice, a caramelized banana slice would be good, or a few pretty drops of darker bitters.
Notes
- I recommend using a good bourbon and around 90 proof is perfect; I used Woodford Reserve
- See the post for now to make banana-infused bourbon...it's so easy, all you need is a just-ripe (and definitely not headed toward overripe) banana, bourbon, and week to let it steep.
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