Six bourbon whiskey cocktails you should know how to make, the good news is that they’re usually simple to make at home; in fact, just one of these recipes calls for a cocktail shaker. The secret to making them taste as good as possible is to use high-quality ingredients and to follow the recipe exactly. After you’ve mastered the original recipe, you can start experimenting with different whiskies and your own personal garnish. So grab your favorite bottle, fill the freezer with ice, and read on…
Whiskey Sour
Ingredients:
- Bourbon 50ml (2 oz)
- lemon juice, 25ml (1 oz)
- Simple syrup, 12.5ml (.5 oz)
- 1 white egg
- Angostura bitters, 2 dashes
- The cocktail cherry
Method:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all components except the ice.
- 10 seconds of dry shaking
- Shake again with ice.
- Pour into a chilled glass twice.
- Serve with a cocktail cherry or a few drops of bitters as garnish.
TOP TIPS
It is entirely up to personal preference whether a Whiskey Sour should be served ‘Up,’ i.e. in a cold coupe, or ‘On the Rocks,’ i.e. over ice in an Old Fashioned cocktail glass. Simply pick your favorite.
Make it a New York sour by adding a red wine float at the end (20ml will be plenty). Wrap a cocktail cherry in an orange slice, stab with a cocktail stick, and lay across the glass for a creative garnish. To make a dairy-free version, replace the egg white with aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas).
Whiskey highball
Ingredients
- 50ml (2oz) whisky
- Premium soda
- Lemon
Method
- Fill a highball glass halfway with ice and let aside to chill.
- Stir in the whisky.
- 3 to 4 parts soda
- Stir
- Garnish with a lemon or grapefruit twist.
TOP TIP:
A Whiskey Highball can be made with any sort of whisky, although many current bartenders believe that Japanese whisky is the greatest option.
Sazerac
Ingredients
- Rye whiskey, 40ml (1.5 oz)
- Absinthe 10ml (.25 oz)>
- 3 slashes Bitters Peychaud
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Water splatter
- Lemon zest
Method
- Rinse an Old Fashioned glass with absinthe, then fill with crushed ice and set aside.
- In a mixing glass, combine bitters, sugar, and water.
- Stir in the rye whiskey and the ice.
- Remove the ice and absinthe from the Old Fashioned glass and strain the whiskey into it.
- Garnish with a twist of lemon.
TOP TIP: Traditionally, lemon peel was twisted over the glass to release the aromatic oils before discarding the peel, but many bartenders choose to drop the lemon peel into the glass as a garnish. Some people prefer to use orange peel in the same way for a slightly sweeter citrus taste.
The Old Fashioned
Ingredients
- Bourbon 50ml (2 oz)
- Angostura bitters, 3-4 dashes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Several drips of water
- Orange
Method
- In an Old Fashioned glass, combine bitters, sugar, and water.
- Stir.
- Stir in the bourbon and ice.
- Pour an orange peel over the top and drop it into the glass for the most genuine finish. Some people like to garnish with an orange slice and/or a cocktail cherry.
TOP SUGGESTIONS
Some people prefer Scotch Whisky or American Rye in an Old Fashioned cocktail.
Add a maraschino cherry or orange bitters for extra sweetness.
The fruit is solely for decoration; no muddling or mashing is required.
Rob Ray/Manhattan
Ingredients
- Rye whisky 50ml (2oz)
- Sweet vermouth, 20ml (.75 oz)
- 3-4 sprints Bitters of Angostura
- The cocktail cherry
Method
- Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir.
- Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.
- Serve with a cocktail cherry as a garnish.
Six bourbon whiskey cocktails that will help you master the art of preparing everyone’s favorite traditional whisky cocktails, from the finest whiskey sour to the best Manhattan.
