Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide

The Sour, like the Gimlet, can be traced back to sailors who drank various spirits with citrus to prevent Scurvy. The practice was brought to land on both sides of the Atlantic, but on the American side, people often preferred native whiskeys to rum and other spirits. Jerry Thomas included a popular recipe in his 1862 book The Bartender's Guide and called it a Sour. Like Smashes and Flips, Sours can be made with any spirit, but whiskey is perhaps most common. Jerry Thomas's recipe did not include egg white, which is a common ingredient nowadays. The egg white was added later for froth and texture. Many recipes call for an optional egg white but don't require it. The truth is that egg doesn't really affect the taste of a drink, but rather the body. However you make it, the Whiskey Sour is a great afternoon or before-dinner drink.

This mix of beer and lemonade is one of the most refreshing drinks ever invented.

The Pimm's Cup is an interesting link between the cities of London and New Orleans. Many New Orleanians seem to believe that the Pimm's Cup is native to their city, but it was actually brought there by the Napoleon House, a restaurant in the French Quarter. When the Napoleon House began serving Pimm's Cups, it was in an effort to prevent their clientele from completely inebriating themselves in the sweltering Louisiana summer heat. The Pimm's Cup originated in London though, where it is still drunk by the gallon in the summer. Pubs sell them by the pitcher, and at Wimbledon, over 40,000 pints of the stuff are sold within just two weeks. No one is quite sure how this cocktail made it across the Atlantic or which city drinks more of it. Whatever the case may be, the Pimm's Cup is just one more thing London and New Orleans have in common.