Sharp, sweet and smooth, with a silky foam on top: the Whiskey Sour is one of the oldest cocktails still ordered every night, and it's on the bar list at Nonòs Judd Street, our Greek Mediterranean kitchen and bar at 112 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NT, five minutes' walk from King's Cross St Pancras. Here's what a sour is, where the drink comes from, and how we make ours.
The sour family
A sour is one of the original families of cocktails: a base spirit, lemon or lime juice, and a sweetener such as simple syrup. Some sours also include egg white. They were already described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks, and the family is big: there's the gin sour, the rum sour that became the Daiquiri, the pisco sour of Peru and Chile, and the amaretto sour. Background from Wikipedia's sour cocktail page.
Where the Whiskey Sour comes from
A Whiskey Sour is whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup, a blend of sour, bitter and sweet. The oldest known mention of it in print was in a Wisconsin newspaper, the Waukesha Plain Dealer, in 1870. There's a rival story from South America, too: a 1962 publication claimed that a man named Elliott Stubb created the "whisky sour" in Iquique in 1872, using limón de Pica for the citrus.
Add egg white and some call it a Boston sour; float a little red wine on top and it becomes a New York sour. The International Bartenders Association recipe garnishes it with half an orange slice and a maraschino cherry. More on Wikipedia's Whiskey Sour page.
Bourbon from Kentucky
Our sour is made with bourbon, the barrel-aged American whiskey made mainly from corn. To be sold as bourbon in the US, it must be produced in the US from at least 51% corn and stored in new charred oak containers, and in 1964 the US Congress recognised it as a "distinctive product of the United States". Our bourbon is Buffalo Trace, made at the distillery of the same name in Frankfort, Kentucky. The name refers to an ancient buffalo trackway that crosses the Kentucky River there, and the distillery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013. Background from Wikipedia's pages on bourbon and Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Our Whiskey Sour
On our drinks and bar menu, the Whiskey Sour is Buffalo Trace bourbon, fresh lemon, gomme syrup and egg white. Shaking the egg white with the other ingredients gives the drink its soft, foamy top. It sits on our classic cocktails list alongside the Old Fashioned (whiskey, brown sugar, Angostura bitters and soda), the Negroni, the Bramble with gin, lemon, gomme syrup and blackberry liqueur, and the Margarita. See our posts on the Negroni and cocktails and aperitivo hour.
Sophie came for a team lunch: Food and cocktails was so tasty!
(Sophie, Google review) And Aleksandr noticed that Despite high volume of visitors, the service was quick and very pleasant.
(Aleksandr, Google review)
A sour with the grill
The lemon in a Whiskey Sour cuts nicely through smoky, chargrilled food. From our à la carte menu, try it with Loukaniko Karditsas, our chargrilled Greek pork sausage, the Lamb Chops with a lemon, oil and oregano dressing, Halloumi Fries, or the Mixed Grill Feast to share. See our posts on loukaniko, lamb chops and the Mixed Grill Feast. Not drinking? Our alcohol-free list includes a Virgin Mojito and the Lady in Red.
“Visited Nono's Restaurant recently and had a great experience.”
Yousif, Google review, 2026
Good to know
- Address: 112 Judd Street, King's Cross, London WC1H 9NT. Phone 020 7278 9700.
- Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 08:30–22:00, Thursday to Saturday 08:30–23:00. The à la carte menu starts at noon.
- Allergies: our Whiskey Sour contains egg white, and egg is one of the 14 major allergens. Please speak to our team about allergies and dietary requirements before you order. Menus may vary slightly by location and season.
Judd Street is open until 23:00 Thursday to Saturday. Book a table at Nonòs Judd Street or just walk in. Please drink responsibly.