Whisky cocktails
Learn how to make and enjoy classic, popular and trending whisky cocktails with our whisky cocktail recipe guide. Whether it's an Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour or the classic Highball - we have you covered.
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Along with a decent gin, whiskey is the essential spirit in your drinks cabinet. Arm yourself with a quality bottle and you can make almost everything worth drinking in The Savoy Cocktail Book. Most whiskey cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan are traditionally made with a bourbon or rye, so you’ll need at least one American whiskey in your cocktail arsenal.
But don’t forget about all the other countries that make whisky either. You’ll definitely need a good blended Scotch whisky behind your bar and something smoky like an Islay single malt is handy too. Or swap bourbon in a Manhattan with Irish whiskey to make an Emerald, a Japanese blend makes a heavenly Highball, and a sherried single malt Scotch will give you an unforgettable Old Fashioned.
In short, whatever whisky you’ve got, don’t be afraid to mix it, although if it’s 30 year old Brora then it might be best to keep it simple.
Old Fashioned
The Old Fashioned is the original cocktail: the word ‘cocktail’ used to be a specific term for a drink containing bitters and sweetened with sugar. You can make yours with any spirit but American whiskeys like bourbon are traditional. It’s also fun to play around with different types of bitters like orange or chocolate. It originates from 'The Pendennis Club' - a gentlemen's club founded in 1881 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Serves: 1 person
Calories: 150 (approx)
Ingredients:
80ml Bourbon like Woodford Reserve
2 Teaspoons of sugar syrup (or more to taste)
2 Dashes of Angostura bitters
Orange peel (garnish)
Method:
Add the bourbon, bitters, and sugar syrup to an ice-filled rocks glass. Stir for 30 seconds and taste, add more syrup if required. Express a piece of orange peel over and drop it in.
The Manhattan
A 2:1 ratio of whiskey, usually bourbon or rye, with vermouth and a dash of bitters, this is one of the simplest and most satisfying cocktails out there. The cocktail was supposedly invented in the legendary Manhattan Club, New York.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 190 (approx)
Ingredients:
50ml Rye whiskey like Sazerac Straight Rye
25ml Italian vermouth like Martini Rosso
1 Dash of Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry (garnish)
Method:
Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled jug or shaker. Stir slowly for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
The Boulevardier
Yes, it’s essentially a Negroni using whiskey instead of gin. You can make it either with equal parts of everything, or double up on the whiskey for something even stronger. It originates from Erskine Gwynne, an American author who founded a monthly magazine in Paris, France, called 'Boulevardier' in 1927.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 194 (approx)
Ingredients:
25ml Bourbon like Maker's Mark 46
25ml Campari
25ml Italian vermouth like Martini Rosso
Orange peel (garnish)
Method:
Add all the ingredients to an ice-filled tumbler. Stir and express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
The Whiskey Sour
Another one based around a ratio. In this case 4:2:1, four parts whiskey, two parts lemon juice and one part sugar syrup. This is a fun one to experiment with, such as using marmalade to sweeten it instead of sugar syrup. The egg white is optional but does give it a lovely texture. The first mention of the whisky sour was in 1862 from 'The Bartenders Guide' by Jerry Thomas.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 165 (approx)
Ingredients:
50ml Bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch
25ml Lemon juice
12.5ml Sugar syrup
Approx. 12.5ml egg white (optional, or try Ms. Better's Miraculous Foamer for a vegan option)
Method:
Add all the ingredients to an ice-filled shaker and shake hard and fast. Double strain into a chilled coupe glass or ice-filled tumbler.
The Rob Roy
The Rob Roy is a Manhattan made with Scotch whisky instead of bourbon or rye. Use a good blend or you can jazz it up with a spoonful of something smoky. It originates from an Operetta that narrated the story of a great Scottish folk hero who supported the poor. This Operetta debuted in New York in the late 1800's.
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 175 (approx)
Ingredients:
50ml Blended Scotch whisky like Johnnie Walker Black Label
25ml Italian vermouth like Martini Rosso
1 Dash of Angostura bitters
Method:
Combine the ingredients in an ice-filled jug or shaker. Stir slowly for 30 seconds and strain into a chilled glass. You can garnish with a Maraschino cherry or a lemon twist.
The Whisky Highball
The Highball is the most versatile of whisky cocktails. It could be as simple as whisky and soda water over ice or you can snazz it up with fruit syrups, bitters or liqueurs. It’s entirely up to you. The origin of the whisky or 'whiskey' highball is English.
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Calories: 190 (approx)
Ingredients:
50ml Whiskey like Nikka from the Barrel
150ml Soda water
2 Dashes orange bitters like Fee Brothers
Orange slice (garnish)
Method:
Fill a Highball glass with ice, add all the ingredients, stir gently and garnish with an orange slice. This is just one version – be sure to experiment!
Your whisky cocktail toolkit
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