To help out an earlier thread, below, I have included my recollection of the
whiskey sour, bourbon period.
If we are talking about originality, bourbon was originally used in making
whiskey sour. From the late 1940's to the early 1960's, bourbon was a very
popular drink. As such, when you'd go to parties, one would always find
bourbon related items: a bowl filled with ice and water, whiskey sour
ingredients, etc. When the mid 1960's came along, scotch replaced bourbon as
the fashionable whiskey of choice.
By the way, I can not speak for the entire country, because I have not lived
everywhere in this country, but, for the eastern united states--Washington
D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, etc.--the "original" whiskey
sour was made with bourbon.
Yours truly,
Michael