On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour delivers bold bourbon flavor, bright citrus, and caramel balance in a ready-to-serve bottle. Here’s what you need to know.
There are cocktails you order at a great bar, and then there are cocktails that follow you home. The whiskey sour has always walked that line beautifully.
Bright lemon, warm bourbon, a whisper of sweetness; it is the kind of drink that feels both effortless and considered.
Now, On The Rocks Bartender Created Cocktails has teamed up with Jim Beam, the world’s best-selling bourbon, to bottle that magic.
The On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour is the brand’s first collaboration with a heritage bourbon house, and it lands as a permanent addition to the lineup. For cocktail lovers who want something exceptional without turning the kitchen into a mise en place operation, this is the answer.
What Makes This Ready-to-Serve Whiskey Sour Different
Not all bottled cocktails are created equal. Most taste like a sugar packet dissolved in regret. This one is different, and the pedigree matters.
On The Rocks tapped Global Ambassador and award-winning mixologist Joaquín Simó to craft the recipe. Simó knows the whiskey sour deeply. He built a career in New York’s most demanding cocktail bars, where this drink is held to an almost religious standard.
“The whiskey sour is such an iconic American cocktail and what better whiskey to make it with than the most iconic American bourbon,”
Joaquín Simó
Global Ambassador and
award-winning mixologist
“The classic version is known for being perfectly balanced, and our On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour delivers just that: bright citrus, warm caramel and subtle sweetness to round it out. Each sip invites you into the traditional world of bourbon making while delivering a modern spin.”
That balance is everything. The bright citrus cuts through the caramel warmth of Jim Beam’s signature mash bill, and the finish lands clean and inviting rather than cloying. It drinks like something a skilled bartender handed you, which is exactly the point.
Two Centuries of Bourbon, Now in Your Friday Night Plans
Jim Beam has been distilling bourbon since 1795. That is not a marketing detail. That is a lineage. Eight generations of the Noe family have guarded the same mash bill and the same philosophy: let the grain, the barrel, and time do the work. Freddie Noe, the eighth-generation Master Distiller, captures it simply.
“For more than two centuries, Jim Beam has been making bourbon the way it should be,”
Freddie Noe
the eighth-generation Master Distiller
“Our mellow notes and approachable flavor are what bourbon lovers come to expect and what makes Jim Beam so perfect in cocktails. On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour captures everything a cocktail crafted with Jim Beam should be: bold, balanced and timeless.”
Timeless is right. The whiskey sour traces back to the 1860s, making it one of the oldest American cocktail templates still standing. It has survived Prohibition, the craft cocktail revolution, and about a thousand bad hotel bar variations. Good bones never go out of style.
From Tokyo to Toronto, This Bottle Travels Well
Part of what makes the On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour so compelling is its versatility. Pour it over ice with an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry, and you have something that looks and tastes like it came from a serious bar program. The garnish is not optional, by the way. It is the visual signature of a proper whiskey sour, and it earns its place. Even if you are assembling it on a rooftop in Austin or a terrace in London, the ritual matters.
On The Rocks built its reputation on exactly this kind of occasion: the moment where you want something complex and the bartender simply is not available. The brand got its start in the airline and hotel industries, places where sophisticated travelers expected quality and rarely got it. That audience — discerning, mobile, flavor-forward — is exactly who this bottle is speaking to.
Available in 375mL at $12.99 and 750mL at $24.99, it sits at 20% ABV. For reference, Difford’s Guide consistently rates On The Rocks among the top RTD cocktail producers worth stocking. At under $25 for a full bottle, the price-to-quality ratio makes the decision easy.
The Flavor Story Worth Knowing
Let’s talk about what is actually in the glass, because this is where it gets fun.
Jim Beam bourbon brings its classic profile: vanilla and oak from the charred barrel, warm baking spice from the rye content, and a honeyed caramel that softens everything. Against the citrus brightness of a well-made sour, those elements sing. The lemon cuts the sweetness without sharpening into tartness. The sweetness rounds the citrus without turning the drink into candy. It is, as Simó intended, a study in balance.
Think of it the way a great chef thinks about acid in a sauce. Too little and the dish falls flat. Too much and it becomes aggressive. The whiskey sour exists at that exact sweet spot, and this bottled version respects the formula rather than dumbing it down for scale.
If you have been nursing the same bottle of average bourbon and grocery store lemon juice every Friday, this is your easy upgrade.
Mini FAQ: On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour
Q: Where can I buy the On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour? A: It is available nationwide at major retailers in both 375mL and 750mL bottles. Visit otrcocktails.com for a store locator.
Q: Does the On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour need to be refrigerated? A: It does not require refrigeration before opening, but serving it well-chilled over fresh ice makes a meaningful difference in taste and texture.
Q: How should I garnish a bottled whiskey sour for the best presentation? A: On The Rocks recommends an orange wheel skewered with a maraschino cherry. It is classic, practical, and looks like you know exactly what you are doing — even on a Tuesday.
Raise the Bar Without Building One
The On The Rocks Jim Beam Whiskey Sour is what happens when craft ambition meets genuine heritage. It does not cut corners on flavor or lineage. Whether you are stocking a lake house, entertaining in a Chicago loft, or simply unwinding after a long week, this bottle delivers something worth drinking. Grab a bottle, load a rocks glass with good ice, and garnish it properly. The bar came to you.
