How do you usually drink whiskey? There are plenty of interesting cocktails that enhance the flavor of whiskey or combine it with other interesting aromas. Here are ten whiskey cocktails you can make at home.
Ten Best Whiskey Cocktails That You Can Make At Home
Most whiskey lovers typically enjoy their liquor with water or ice to enhance the flavor of the whiskey. However, cocktails are another great way to enjoy whiskey. There are many options to explore, and you can make many simple whiskey cocktails with ingredients you already have. Here are ten cocktail recipes to impress your guests and discover more ways to enjoy your favorite whiskeys.
Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is a traditional cocktail. It is a mix of alcohol and coffee that is very enjoyable in the winter. Not everyone enjoys the flavors of whiskey and coffee mixed, but this is something you should try at least once if you are a whiskey lover or are just curious about Irish cocktails.
Irish coffee is a fantastic cocktail because you can create many different variations by combining different whiskeys and blends of coffee.
You will need:
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 ½ ounce of whiskey
- 1 pot of fresh coffee
- Heavy cream
Start by brewing some coffee. The cocktail will taste better if you use fresh and hot coffee. You can make the coffee as strong as you like.
Pour the coffee to fill three-quarters of a mug. Add the brown sugar and let it dissolve in the coffee. You can then pour whiskey to finish filling the mug, stir with a spoon, and top with some heavy cream.
The best whiskeys to use for Irish coffee are the ones with a noticeable vanilla, spice, or fruit aromas. A dark coffee roast is the most common choice for this cocktail.
Irish Mule
The Irish mule is a refreshing cocktail that is often served on Saint Patrick’s Day. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- 2 ounces of whiskey
- 6 ounces of ginger beer
- Half a lime
- Lime slices and mint
- Ice cubes
Start by placing some large ice cubes at the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add the whiskey, and squeeze the half lime to extract the juice. Add the ginger beer and garnish with a slice of lime and a mint spring before serving.
You can adjust the quantity of ginger beer you use to make this cocktail. It will taste sweeter if you use more ginger beer.
Hot Toddy
This is one of the most well-known whiskey cocktails. A hot toddy is a great choice when you are feeling under the weather or just want something to warm you up on a cold winter night.
You will need these ingredients:
- ¾ cup of water
- 1 ½ ounce of whiskey
- 3 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons of honey
- Lemon slices or cinnamon stick
Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan, as if you were making some tea. Pour the hot water in a mug and gradually stir in the whiskey, honey, and lemon juice. Wait for the honey to dissolve in the water.
You can adjust the quantities of lemon juice and honey depending on how sweet you want your cocktail to taste. If possible, use a whiskey that is spicy and has a citrus aroma to make this traditional cocktail.
Mint Julep
This whiskey cocktail is perfect for a hot summer afternoon. It is both refreshing and invigorating thanks to the minty taste and seltzer water.
These are the ingredients you will need to make a mint julep:
- 1 ½ teaspoon of sugar
- Seltzer water
- 2 ½ ounces of whiskey
- Mint leaves
- Ice cubes
Place about ten mint leaves at the bottom of a cocktail glass. Sprinkle them with some sugar, and use a spoon to crush the leaves.
You can then pour seltzer water into the glass and add ice cubes to fill about three-quarters of the glass. Add the whiskey and garnish with a mint leaf or spring before serving.
Traditionally, mint juleps are made with Bourbon whiskey. Bourbon is made with a mixture of corn, malt, and rye.
Classic Manhattan
This is a classy whiskey cocktail that is very easy to make. You can use a rye whiskey or Bourbon. There are many different variations of the classic Manhattan, and you should look for ways to personalize this cocktail, but make sure you taste the original version of the cocktail first.
Here is what you will need:
- 2 ounces of whiskey
- 1 ounce of sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
- Cherries
Angostura is a brand that makes concentrated bitters from herbs and spices. These bitters are used to make many different cocktails and would be an excellent addition to any home bar.
Use a mixing glass to stir the whiskey, sweet vermouth, a bitter. Serve the cocktail into a chilled glass and add cherries to garnish.
The sweet vermouth is used to balance the whiskey in this classic cocktail. However, dry vermouth can work if you are using Bourbon or another sweet whiskey. Don’t hesitate to test different vermouth to whiskey ratios.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is another classic cocktail you should try at least once. You need to select a quality Bourbon whiskey to make a good old fashioned cocktail. This cocktail recipe adds a little flavor to the Bourbon, but it won’t mask the flavor of a low-quality whiskey.
These are the ingredients you should use to make an Old Fashioned cocktail:
- ½ tablespoon of sugar
- 2 ounces of Bourbon whiskey
- 1 teaspoon of water
- 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
- Orange peel
- Ice cubes
Start by placing ice cubes at the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add the sugar and water and let the sugar dissolve.
You can then pour the Bourbon into the glass and add three dashes of bitter. Press an orange peel lightly above the glass to get some of the oil into the cocktail, and use the peel to garnish the cocktail.
You can use syrup instead of sugar. It might give a sweeter taste to the cocktail. You can also experiment with different bitters.
Tallulah
This is a traditional Southern cocktail that is often made with Tennessee whiskey or another American whiskey. Here is what you will need to make a Tallulah:
- 2 ounces of whiskey
- 1 ounce of orgeat syrup (use peanut orgeat syrup)
- 2 ounces of Coke
- Peanuts
- Ice cubes
Mix the whiskey and orgeat syrup in a tall glass and stir. Add the Coke and ice cubes, and garnish the cocktail with peanuts.
Whiskey Sour
This original cocktail plays with sour and sweet flavors. Don’t hesitate to personalize your whiskey sour by trying different whiskeys and testing different ratios for the ingredients.
These are the ingredients you will need to make a whiskey sour:
- 1 ½ ounce of Bourbon whiskey
- ¾ ounce of lemon juice
- ¾ ounce of syrup
- Cherry
- Lime wedge
You can either use store-bought syrup or make your own by mixing one part water with one part sugar.
Use a shaker filled with ice to combine the syrup, Bourbon, and lemon juice. If you decide to use homemade syrup, mix the sugar and water separately instead of adding these ingredients to the shaker.
Strain the cocktail into a glass with ice cubes and a cherry. Add a lemon wedge to garnish.
Southern Spiked Iced Tea
Spiked iced tea is a traditional cocktail, but using peach ice tea is an original take on this classic. Southern spiked iced tea cocktails are perfect for the summertime.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this cocktail:
- 1 quart of water
- 6 tea bags (black tea is best)
- 2 cups of peach juice
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- Whiskey
- Peach slices
- Mint
You can store-bought ice tea or make the tea from scratch. If you decide to make the tea yourself, start by bringing the water to a simmer. Add the tea bags and let them steep for at least five minutes. You can leave the tea bags in the water for longer if you like strong tea.
Add the sugar to the warm tea and let it dissolve. Mix with the peach juice and let the mixture chill for a couple of hours in the fridge.
Mix the ice tea and the whiskey just before serving. Place some ice cubes at the bottom of a tall cocktail glass and fill three-quarters of the glass with ice tea. Top with the whiskey and garnish with a peach slice and some mint leaves before serving.
You can easily customize this recipe by using different fruit juices or using loose fruit tea to make iced tea.
Embarcadero
This is a very simple cocktail that brings out to the natural flavor of the whiskey. You will only need three main ingredients to make an embarcadero:
- 1 ounce of rye whiskey
- 1 ounce of sweet vermouth
- 1 ounce of Gentian amaro
- Ice cubes
- Lemon peel
Gentian amaro is a bitter made with ginger, spices, and citrus. We don’t recommend replacing it with a different bitter since it helps create the unique flavor of this cocktail.
Place some large ice cubes at the bottom of a cocktail glass. Stir the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitter. Add the lemon peel to garnish.
These ten whiskey cocktails are easy to make and will help you discover different flavors and ways to enjoy your favorite liquor. Try some of these classic cocktails and look for ways to personalize them by replacing some ingredients or adjusting the ratios.