10 Whiskey Cocktails That You Should Try Out At Home

If you’re a whiskey fan, then this post is for you. I don’t know about you, but I would take a cocktail over a neat glass of whiskey any day. It goes down much smoother, and if you make it the right way, it tastes amazing!

Let’s dive a little bit into the origin of whiskey. It began over a thousand years ago when distillation made the migration from mainland Europe into Scotland and Ireland via travelling monks. The Scottish and Irish monasteries, lacking the vineyards and grapes of the continent, turned to ferment grain mash, resulting in the first distillations of modern whiskey.

Every third Saturday of May we celebrate World Whiskey Day, as a way to invite everyone to raise a glass and celebrate the water of life.

Here are a few whiskey cocktails that you should try out.

1. Hot toddy

You’ve probably heard people say that whiskey can cure some illnesses such as the common cold. This simple recipe has been credited for doing so. What’s better? It requires very few ingredients.

Ingredients

1. ¼ lemon
2. 1 tablespoon honey
3. Two shots of whiskey

Instructions

2. Squeeze the lemon wedge into a mug and leave it in the bottom.
3. Add honey, whiskey, and top with hot water.
4. Serve hot

2. Irish Redhead

This simple and yet tasty whiskey recipe is a balance of the sweet and sour taste. You can choose to use a little more grenadine syrup to make it sweeter. It is refreshing and will leave you longing for more. The best thing about it is that it’s quite easy to make.

Ingredients

1. Tonic water
2. A splash of lemon
3. Half a lime
4. A tablespoon of grenadine syrup
5. 2/3 shots of whiskey

Instructions

1. Put a few ice cubes in your glass
2. Add the piece of lime, tonic water and lastly the whiskey
3. Serve cold

3. Daddy’s sins

If you’re looking for something a little more concentrated, then I highly suggest this cocktail. It’s simple to make and at the same time tasty. It has coffee which brings out a unique flavour to it.

Ingredients

1. Sambuca
2. Freshly brewed coffee (not instant coffee)
3. 40ml of whiskey
4. Ice Cubes

Instructions

1. Add the sambuca, coffee, and whiskey in equal ratios.
2. Add ice (optional) then serve

4. Classic Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour is one of the most famous whiskey cocktails, and for a good reason. If you tend to lean towards sour cocktails, then you should try this out.

Ingredients

1. 50ml of whiskey
2. 25ml of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3. 15ml of sugar syrup
4. 15ml of egg white
5. Cherry or lemon twist for garnish

Instructions

1. Add 50ml of whiskey in a glass
2. Add 25ml of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3. Add 15ml of sugar syrup
4. Add 15ml of egg white
5. Garnish with a lemon twist

5. Whiskey, ginger and lime cocktail

Here’s another cocktail recipe that you should try out. This particular cocktail has a spicy and peppery taste because of the addition of ginger ale. It’s a combination of easy to find ingredients in the home, and the result is fantastic.

Ingredients

1. 50ml of whiskey
2. Schweppes Ginger Ale
3. A large wedge of lime

Instructions

1. Fill a high ball glass with ice
2. Pour in a shot of whiskey
3. Top up the glass with ginger ale
4. Stir briefly to mix
5. Take a large wedge of lime, squeeze it, and drop it into the glass.

6. Whiskey Smash

This recipe is for the mint lovers. It makes the whiskey smoother and more palatable, and on top of this, it tastes really good.

Ingredients

1. 3 wedges Lemon
2. 4 Mint leaves
3. Some sugar syrup
4. 40ml Bourbon

Instructions

1. Muddle the lemon wedges in a glass.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
3. Add some ice cubes.
4. Slap a mint sprig between your hands to release the oils in the leaves, resulting in a bright and fresh aroma that will really add to the experience of the drink.
5. Serve with a straw.

7. Brown Derby

This cocktail, invented in Los Angeles, is great for initiating newbies to the world of whiskey. It has grapefruit added to it which gives it the perfect sour and fruity taste.

Ingredients

1. 45ml whiskey
2. 30ml Fresh grapefruit juice
3. 5ml Honey
4. Dash of lemon juice

Instructions

1. Shake all the ingredients with ice in a separate container
2. Strain into a glass.

8. Bourbon Mojito

A typical mojito is made using rum. However, you can choose to use whiskey as an alternative. The results are great because while it is refreshing, it retains the taste of whiskey to give a delicious variety of flavour in one glass.

Ingredients

1. 50ml whiskey
2. 5ml lime juice
3. 1tsp sugar
4. 60ml soda water
5. Fresh mint leaves

Instructions

1. Muddle together the fresh mint, sugar and lime in a tall glass.
2. Load with ice,
3. Add the whiskey and top up with soda water.

9. Whiskey and apple juice

Cocktails don’t have to be complicated recipes. This recipe is a classic example because it’s simply the addition of apple juice to give the cocktail a fruity and sweet flavour.

Ingredients

1. 50ml whiskey
2. Green apples to top it up.

Instructions

1. Mix and shake the whiskey with the apple juice.
2. Pour into a tumbler over ice.

10. Manhattan Whiskey Cocktail

Lastly, we have this cocktail that makes use of orange fruit peels to give the cocktail a tangy taste. It has other alcohol including Angostura bitters (but you can use the bitters that is available) and vermouth. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Ingredients

1. 1 cup whiskey
2. ⅔ cup vermouth
3. 2 dashes of angostura
4. 4 small orange peels
5. 4 fresh cherries

Instructions

1. 1. Place ice in a cocktail shaker.
   2. Add the whiskey, vermouth and angostura.
   3. Rub the orange peel around the rim of the cocktail glass.
   4. Strain the drink into the glass.
   5. Add cherries and enjoy!

Here are some cocktails you might be able to make with the same ingredients – vodka, gin, cognac, rum and Martini Cocktails.  If you are a Famous Grouse fan here are additional recipes you can check out – Famous Grouse cocktails you can make at home. If you are a liqueur fan then you can check out these Magnum Cream Liqueur cocktails you should try

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