There are many versions of the history behind this drink. We'll give you all.

Some believe that Jerry Thomas published the recipe in "The Bartender's Guide" in 1862. However, this whiskey sour cocktail recipe got discovered ten years before this! In 1870, a Wisconsin newspaper published the first known reference to Whiskey Sour. Further research by different people revealed that the Universidad del Cuyo published a 1962 story claiming that Elliott Stubb, a man who invented the Whiskey Sour, had published it.

What about the "sour" part of the cocktail? It's the addition of lemon or lime to the drink. It is believed that Vice Admiral Edward Vernon, England, used to mix different ingredients to serve his sailors while they traveled from England to America. Sailors were always given large amounts of lemons and limes to keep them hydrated and free from scurvy disease. To avoid having drunk sailors on board, the Vice-Admiral mixed rum with lime juice to dilute the alcohol; as you can understand, this is the beginning of the "sour!"