Whisky is synonymous with roaring fires, fine mahogany, and exquisite facial hair. People like Winston Churchill, Mark Twain, and Raymon Chandler all drank whisky. Dads drink whisky.
If you’re looking to share a few yarns with your old man over a bottle of liquid sunshine, but aren’t sure where to begin when it comes to mixing up a drink, then here are six classic cocktails every whisky drinker needs to add to their arsenal.
How to serve whisky
Before we get to the mixology, we should say that a lot of whisky drinkers would recoil in horror at the idea of having their drink any other way than ‘neat’ — that’s straight up in a glass on its own.
Some will drink it ‘on the rocks’, which means adding ice, while others will add just a few drops of water to bring out the flavour. Drinking whisky by itself like this is the preferred option for the connoisseur and definitely the way to go for the full experience. However, whisky is just as awesome when mixed. Here’s the proof.
Highball
You will need:
- Makers Mark whisky
- Mixer of choice
- Ice cubes
This list is ordered from most traditional, to least traditional, and since the highball has been around forever, you’ll note it comes fist. A highball is the simplest cocktail you can make; just add a mixer.
In this instance, you’d be looking at nightclub favourites like whisky and coke but we also recommend keeping it classic with whisky and soda or whisky and ginger ale. Serve it up in a tall glass.
Old Fashioned
You will need:
- Makers Mark whisky
- Sugar cube
- Angostura bitters
- Orange
- Ice
The Old Fashioned is the eternally-cool king of cocktails (very Don Draper) and a must-try for anyone new to whisky.
To begin, you must always prep your garnish first. Take a sharp knife and cut off a piece of orange peel with as little of the white ‘pith’ as possible. Grab some chilled rocks glasses, drop in a cube of sugar, and add a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Now you’ll need to ‘muddle’ the sugar and bitters together which usually calls for a wooden muddler, but the end of a big wooden spoon is fine.
Add your ice (the bigger the better) and a double measure of whisky, then quickly stir the whole thing together — 30 times clockwise, 30 times counterclockwise.
Once you’ve done that, grab your orange peel and twist it over the glass to coat the drink in citrus oils. Sit the orange peel in the drink and serve.
Manhattan
You will need:
- Makers Mark whisky
- Sweet vermouth
- Angostura bitters
- Orange or lemon
- Luxardo maraschino cherries
- Ice
The Manhattan is another stone-cold classic drink that really brings out the flavours of whisky.
To make it, get yourself some chilled cocktail glasses and cut a slice of orange or lemon peel. Now, grab a big heavy mixing glass and fill it with ice. Add a double shot of whisky, and then a single shot of sweet vermouth, plus a few good dash of Angostura bitters.
Give that all a good stir until the ice has melted down a little. Once that’s done, strain the mix into your cocktail glass. Stick two maraschino cherries on a toothpick and sit them in the drink to ooze out all that syrupy cherry goodness.
Whisky Sour
You will need:
- Makers Mark
- Lemon juice
- Egg white
- Sugar syrup
- Orange
- Luxardo maraschino cherry
- Ice
Another giant in the cocktail world, the whisky sour is arguably the most delicious on the list. It’s also the most involved, but well worth the effort.
To start, separate out your egg white and make up some sugar syrup, which you can do by adding equal parts white sugar and hot water to a jar or bottle and shaking until syrupy.
Now, grab your cocktail shaker and tip in two shots of whisky, one and a half shots of lemon juice, half an egg white, and a half shot of sugar syrup. Ice it up and then shake the whole thing like your life depends on it.
A vigorous, circular shake is key here to really fluff up those egg whites. Now, get a rocks glass, throw in some ice and strain the contents of the shaker into it. Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Whisky Apple
You will need:
- Makers Mark whisky
- Apple juice
- Ice
A super simple drink that brings out the best in whisky. It’s no classic but it’s damn delicious and highly popular in the watering holes of Sydney and Melbourne.
The secret to a good whisky and apple is fresh apple juice, so if you have a juicer, now’s the time to juice up three crisp green apples. If you don’t, get some good non-concentrate apple juice and give it a shake before pouring.
Now, grab a highball glass and chuck some ice cubes in, then tip in a double measure of whisky and pour over the juice. Delish!
Hot Toddy
You will need:
- Makers Mark
- Hot water
- Honey
- Lemon
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
The hot toddy is whisky’s answer to mulled wine. It’s the perfect winter drink and famous in Ireland for its cold-curing capabilities.
Start with a warmed glass. Add a double shot of whisky and squeeze in a small lemon wedge but be careful not to overdo it on the citrus. Scrape off a teaspoon of honey into the glass and add a dash of nutmeg.
Now, top the whole thing with hot water and give it a good stir. Add a stick of cinnamon and see if you don’t feel immediately better after consumption.
Cheers!