Whiskey is one of the greatest inventions in the world of alcohol. And creative whiskey cocktails are the perfect elixir for soothing your mind, warming your heart, and relaxing your body. Often referred to as “The Water of Life,” whiskey is easy on your waistline, as a single shot of whiskey has zero fat. The presence of ellagic acid in whiskey acts as an excellent antioxidant and if consumed in moderation, may help in preventing cancer and lowering the risk of heart disease.
You have to agree that there is no better thing than sitting in your favorite spot and slowly sipping your favorite whiskey! Yet, there’s no rule that you can only consume whiskey with ice and water. There are a lot of ways to experiment with your favorite whiskey to make it more thrilling and joyous. Below is a list of ten unusual yet exciting and creative whiskey cocktails that will impress your guests. These cocktail recipes will add a unique taste to your favorite whiskey, and it will give your guests a fabulous flavor that they will cherish.
Freeland Spirits proudly produces their excellent bourbon from their distillery in Portland, Oregon (Photo Nancy Zaffaro)
Rob Roy
ROB ROY: Often called the Manhattan of a scotch drinker, Rob Roy is a marvelous drink that you can enjoy with your guests at home. While the Manhattan is all about the bright lights of the big city, Rob Roy gives a more relaxing and home-like aura to itself. The main ingredients for making Rob Roy remain the same as those of Manhattan, but the only difference between the constituents of both is that Rob Roy requires scotch instead of rye.
The ingredients that you require for making this drink are two ounces of scotch, one ounce of Italian vermouth, and two dashes of bitters. The preparation of this cocktail is very easy as all you need to do is, stir all the ingredients with cracked ice. In the next step, strain the drink into a chilled cocktail glass of your choice and then garnish it with lemon before serving. You do not have to worry about what scotch to use as you can any scotch that you can find at liquor stores near me. If you want to experiment more with your drink, you can also use prized single malt instead of blended scotch to make your drink more interesting.
Photo by Magna Ehlers
Brain Duster
BRAIN DUSTER: The Brain Duster is one of those cocktails that slide up to you and whisper excellence in your ears. This drink can relax your guests and get them in the mood to party. Even though preparing this cocktail does not take much time, serve it to your guests in calculated intervals of time so that they can relish the flavors of all the liquors used to prepare this drink.
You will need one ounce of Rye whiskey, one ounce of Italian Vermouth, one ounce of Absinthe, and one dash of Angostura bitters. All you need to do for preparing this drink is mixing all the ingredients, that is, Rye Whiskey, Italian Vermouth, Absinthe, and Angostura bitters with cracked ice in a chilled cocktail glass. Once you mix all the ingredients, you can serve the drink instantly to your guests so that the flavors remain fresh.
Whiskey Sour
WHISKEY SOUR: Even though there are a thousand ways of making a Whiskey Sour, the flavors come out to be as comforting as ever! This sour cocktail has a wonderful simplicity to it, and that is what makes it one of the most loved. The great, uplifting, refreshing, and calming taste of this drink binds all the flavors and blends them perfectly. Despite its simplistic nature, this cocktail is a perfect example of showcasing whiskey at its core.
You need two ounces of Bourbon, a two-third ounce of lemon juice, one tablespoon of fine sugar, and half egg white for preparing this drink. Once you gather all the ingredients, you need to shake all the ingredients with cracked ice. After shaking them well, strain the drink into a chilled cocktail glass. For the last step, garnish the drink with a lemon wedge and serve it to your guests. While Bourbon is the traditional drink that adds a tinge of sweetness to it, you can experiment by adding Rye for a tangy taste.
At House Spirits Distillery: “Whisky is Liquid Sunshine” (Photo Nancy Zaffaro)
Emerald
EMERALD: When it comes to cocktails with whiskey, there are not many that use Irish whiskeys. The Emerald is a delightful cocktail that Irish Whiskey lovers enjoy thoroughly. While the only green thing about the drink is its name, the Emerald has a very mellow and smooth taste. The presence of orange bitters in the drink adds uniqueness and a bit of tangy flavor to it.
To make this cocktail, you require two ounces of Irish whiskey, one ounce of Italian Vermouth, and one dash of orange bitters. It is one of the easiest cocktails that you can prepare as all you need to do is stir all the ingredients with cracked ice and then strain it in a chilled cocktail glass of your choice. This drink does not require garnishing as the flavors are enough to give your guests a good time.
Old Fashioned
OLD FASHIONED: The Old Fashioned is one cocktail that is loved by people all around the world. This cocktail brings you the best of both worlds as it can be soothing and warm during the colder months, and refreshing and cool in the warmer months. This specific drink is so iconic that it has a special glass named in its glory. The ideal glass for consuming this cocktail should at least be of ten ounces, and it should also have a heavy bottom.
For preparing this legendary cocktail, you require two ounces of Bourbon, two dashes of Angostura bitters, club soda, and a sugar cube. The directions for preparing this cocktail require you to place a sugar cube in the ideal old fashioned glass. For the next step, you need to wet the sugar cube with Angostura bitters and a splash of club soda. The third step involves crushing the sugar cube with a muddler and then rotating the glass so that the sugar and bitters give the glass a lining. The fourth step involves adding a large ice cube, and then you have to pour the whiskey. For the last step, garnish the cocktail with an orange twist and serve it with a stirring rod.
Whiskey tasting at Heritage Distilling (Photo Nancy Zaffaro)
Mint Julep
MINT JULEP: The Mint Julep is a chilled cocktail that sets the right mood to party. There are a lot of requirements you need to keep in mind for preparing the drink, like the silver bleaker in which you will pour the drink should be extremely chilled, you must use cracked ice and drain all the excess water from it, and the mint leaves should be very fresh and small. The Mint Julep is one of the most aromatic cocktails that your guests will drink.
For preparing this drink, you need three ounces of Bourbon, six to seven mint leaves, and one tablespoon of sugar. The first step for preparing the drink involves placing the mint leaves at the bottom of the pre-chilled silver beaker and then adding sugar to it. In the next step, you need to crush the sugar and the mint leaves with a wooden muddler. Then, pack the glass with cracked ice and then pour the Bourbon over the ice. The last step involves stirring the mixture and adding more ice before serving. You can also add some mint leaves in the ice to make your drink more aromatic.
Whiskey barrels at Maker’s Mark (Photo by Nancy Zaffaro)
Hot Toddy
HOT TODDY: Hot Toddy is not just a cure for your sore throat, but it is a cure for your soul. As exquisite as it sounds, Hot Toddy is a drink that comprises some of the most exotic ingredients like bourbon, lemon, honey, and herbal tea. The hot concoction of this drink gets into your arteries and dispenses comfort throughout your body. It is the perfect drink to serve to your guests during the chilly winter nights.
The ingredients required to prepare this drink are two ounces of Bourbon, one ounce of honey, one ounce of lemon juice, one tea bag, and four dashes of tiki bitters. The first step for preparing this drink involves boiling some water and adding a teabag in the teapot. In the next step, add honey, Bourbon, Tiki Bitters, and lemon in a mug and stir them together. In the third step, pour this mixture into a glass mug with a spoon. For the final step, you need to pour the tea over the cocktail, stir it, and then serve it.
Paper Plane
PAPER PLANE: As the name suggests, the Paper Plane is a daring cocktail. The drink has a unique flavor due to the sweetness of Bourbon, and the bitterness of Amaro Nonino Quintessentia and Aperol. You can easily master this drink as you have to use every ingredient in equal proportions. For preparing this cocktail, you require three-fourth ounces each of Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, and lemon. The directions for preparing this drink require you to stir all the ingredients in a cocktail maker with some crushed ice. Once all the ingredients blend with each other, you can pour the mixture in cocktail glasses and serve. To add a bit of fashion to your drink, you can garnish it with a paper plane or a lemon twist.
Photo by Li Sun
Sazarac
SAZERAC: The Sazerac is a classy and stiff cocktail. It boasts a plethora of flavors because of the flavors of whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water. Your guests will get to unload layers of alcohol with every sip of Sazerac.
For preparing this cocktail, you need two and a half ounces of Rye Whiskey, one sugar cube, two dashes of Peychaud’s bitters, one dash of Angostura bitters, and lemon peel. It is also essential for you to use old fashioned glasses for serving this drink as they add grace to the cocktail. The first step to prepare Sazerac involves muddling a sugar cube with water inside the glass. In the second step, you need to add ice cubes, Peychaud’s bitters, Angostura bitters, and Rye Whiskey, and stir the mixture well. Then, you need to take a second glass where you need to pour some drops of Absinthe so that you coat the glass well with it. For the last step, you need to add the mixture to the second glass and garnish it with a lemon peel.
Blood and Sand
BLOOD AND SAND: The Blood and Sand is a perplexing cocktail that sounds creepy but tastes very good. For preparing this cocktail, you require three-fourth ounces each of Scotch Whiskey, Rosso Vermouth, Cherry Brandy, and Fresh Orange Juice. The first step for preparing this cocktail is adding all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shaking them with ice. Once all the flavors and drinks blend together, you need to strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass. In the final step, you can garnish the cocktail with an orange twist. Your guests will enjoy the reddish-orange color of this unusual whiskey cocktail.
Creative Whiskey Cocktails
Whiskey is amongst those drinks that people enjoy drinking with ice and water. However, people have begun to experiment whiskey with different drinks to make it an interesting cocktail. When guests are visiting your place, you can amaze them by serving them with some marvelous cocktails made from Whiskey. You can read the recipes of these ten easy yet unique whiskey cocktails that you can easily make at home. These cocktails have a plethora of unusual flavors and will help you gain a lot of appreciation from your guests.
Photo by Dima Valkov
For More:
- https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/easy-3-ingredient-whiskey-drinks-simple-whiskey-cocktails
- https://bestlifeonline.com/creative-whiskey-cocktails/
- https://www.itechfy.com/food/5-great-white-wine-cocktail-recipes-for-this-v-day/
- On our site: 5 Easy Bourbon and Wine Cocktails
- Also on our site: Summer cocktail recipes from Heritage Distilling
- On our site: From Grain-to-Glass: House Spirits Distillery Tour
- On our site: On our site: House Spirits Cocktail Recipes
- Also on our site: Freeland Spirits: Woman-Owned and Woman-Distilled
- And one more (we really love whiskey!): Tour the Kentucky Bourbon Trail with Mint Julep Tours
-All photos as credited. Cover photo by Anastasia Zhenina.
