The 5 Best Whiskey Cocktails and How to Make Them
By Andrew Tardif
If you’re looking at that bottle of whiskey sitting on your bar and you’re tired of drinking it on the rocks or mixed with Coke, you may want to know these easy and delicious whiskey cocktails you can craft up at home.
We at Chemist Distillery wanted to give you some simple whiskey cocktails to play with, so here are the five best whiskey cocktails and how to make them.
Old Fashioned Cocktail
The Old Fashioned is quite literally old fashioned in that it predated many of the classic whiskey cocktails we know today, and it still stands as one of the best whiskey cocktails. Prior to the Manhattan and Martini, which introduced vermouth and other spirits into the mix, whiskey was simply mixed with bitters, sugar, and water. This mix was the identity of the cocktail.
When those newer whiskey cocktails started popping up in the late 19th century, people would order an “Old Fashioned” cocktail like the good ol’ days, meaning that simple mix of whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water. This simple recipe balances out the bite of many whiskeys.
Old Fashioned Recipe
Since the Old Fashioned has a pretty simple build, you’ll want to make sure you get quality ingredients. For the whiskey, we like to use our Chemist American Single Malt. At the end of the day, the hints of dark fruit and chocolate make this a fuller-bodied cocktail.
Next is bitters. Angostura aromatic bitters is the typical bitters of choice, but you can really use anything. As for the sugar in an old fashioned cocktail, traditionally you would use a sugar cube, but you can also use a rich demerara syrup—2:1 demerara sugar to water.
We think the best Old Fashioned recipe uses the sugar cube, unless you are trying to make 20 of them at a busy bar. At Antidote Cocktail Lounge, we like to put in some of our Chocolate Orange Gin Liqueur for more body and that touch of sweetness.
Ingredients:
2 oz Chemist American Single Malt
1 Demerara sugar cube (or one bar spoon of rich demerara syrup)
4-8 dashes of Angostura bitters
orange peel, for garnish
Instructions:
In a mixing glass, place the sugar cube
Add bitters over the sugar cube
With a muddler, muddle the sugar cube into a paste, but don’t break down the sugar cube completely
Add your whiskey
Add ice
Stir for 30 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain over a large cube or regular ice
Express orange oil over top and garnish with the orange peel
Enjoy one of the best whiskey cocktails ever
2. Manhattan
One of the best whiskey cocktails, the Manhattan was probably the first of its kind. It strayed from the “Old Fashioned” cocktail by cutting the main spirit with Italian vermouth. This added a layer of sweetness that you would originally get from the sugar and also cut through the harshness of the whiskey.
Although the origin of this cocktail is contested, it is believed to have been made at the Manhattan Club, a prominent Democratic hub in Manhattan. Some tall tales falsely give it connections to Jennie Jerome, Winston Churchill’s mother, but its initial inception is unknown.
Manhattan Recipe
For our Manhattan recipe, we will stick to the common ratio of 2:1. For whiskey, we use our American Single Malt Whiskey, since we find the earthy spice works well with the sweet vermouth.
For bitters, once again, we’re reaching for the Ango, and as for the sweet vermouth, we typically reach for Carpano Antica, but there are so many sweet vermouths out there that are great for a Manhattan, including Punt e Mes, Yzaguirre Rojo, or Cocchi de Torino. You can even reach for a nice amaro, if you’ve got it (See Black Manhattan, one of the best whiskey cocktails for after dinner).
Ingredients:
2 oz Chemist American Single Malt Whiskey
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
4 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice
Stir for 30 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain into a chilled coupe
Garnish with a maraschino cherry
3. Whiskey Sour
Many cocktails were made to mask the flavor of alcohol that was found to be too sharp, and the whiskey sour cocktail was one of the best whiskey cocktails at the time to meet up to the bite of whiskey.
This classic whiskey cocktail has been around since the early 1800s and was popular in the mid-19th century through the 20th. This should be proof enough to make one at home.
Whiskey Sour Recipe
The classic whiskey sour can include egg white, but doesn’t require one to be considered as such. This simple whiskey cocktail just requires some syrup (easily made at home), some lemon juice, and whiskey.
Some whiskey sour recipes will call for orange juice in addition to lemon juice, but it also isn’t required.
Ingredients:
2 oz Chemist American Single Malt Whiskey
¾ lemon juice
½ - ¾ oz simple syrup
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker tin with ice
Shake for 10-15 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain into a chilled coupe
Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry
New York Sour Recipe
Prior to its official naming in 1934 in Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide, the New York Sour went by many names including the Continental Sour, Claret Sour, and Southern Whiskey Sour. This version of the Whiskey Sour, possibly made in the 1880s, simply floats red wine atop the cocktail.
What type of wine you use is up to you. I wouldn’t reach for a $150 bottle of that Bordeaux, but something fruity tends to compliment the tart and spicy nature of one of the best whiskey cocktails.
Ingredients:
2 oz Chemist Single Malt Whiskey
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Red wine to top
Instructions:
Place all ingredients, except the red wine, in a shaker tin with ice
Shake for 10-15 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube
Pour about 1 oz of red wine over top the back side of a spoon above the cocktail to float it on top
Boston Sour Recipe
Although egg white is optional in a whiskey sour, it isn’t optional in the Boston Sour, which is simply a whiskey sour with egg white. The egg white, common in something like a gin fizz, adds a frothy texture, highlighting the sweeter and more decadent tones to a whiskey.
Although we do have to say that consuming raw eggs is dangerous, blah blah blah…you should try it. I haven’t lost a guest to an egg white cocktail yet! You can also buy a carton of pasteurized egg whites in the grocery store if you want extra safety.
We highly recommend the egg white for one of the best whiskey cocktails around.
Ingredients:
2 oz Chemist American Single Malt Whiskey
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
1 egg white
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a shaker tin with one ice cube
Dry shake for 10-15 seconds to develop foam
Add ice into the shaker
Shake for another 10-15 seconds or until chilled thoroughly
Double strain into a chilled coupe
Garnish with a cherry and orange slice*
*If you have Angostura bitters on hand, you can make a nice design with the foam. Great for impressing guests...
4. Paper Plane
The Paper Plane is one of the best whiskey cocktails to come about in the modern age of cocktails. Made by Sam Ross, who was inspired by M.I.A.’s “Paper Plane,” as heard in Slumdog Million, this cocktail took off after he brought it to New York’s Milk & Honey.
The combination of whiskey, Aperol, Amaro, and lemon results in a refreshingly tart and fruity whiskey cocktail.
Paper Plane Recipe
This cocktail traditionally uses bourbon as its focal point, which imparts a crucial sweetness in an otherwise bitter, sour, and herbaceous cocktail. We use our Chemist American Single Malt Whiskey since it’s approachable and balances the cocktail well.
Ingredients:
¾ oz Chemist American Single Malt
¾ oz Aperol
¾ oz Amaro Nonino
¾ oz lemon juice
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker tin with ice
Shake for 10-15 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain into a chilled coupe glass
Express lemon oil over top and garnish with the lemon peel
5. Boulevardier
The Boulevardier is one of the best whiskey cocktails to come from the best gin cocktails since it’s simply a Negroni that substitutes whiskey for gin. This whiskey cocktail was most notably mentioned in Barflies and Cocktails by Harry MacElhone and was named after a magazine at the time.
The Negroni, its predecessor, was a popular cocktail in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was likely an evolution of the Americano Cocktail (sweet vermouth and Campari topped with soda water).
Cocktail evolution led to the use of gin instead of soda water to get the Negroni, and then whiskey instead of gin to get one of the best whiskey cocktails: The Boulevardier.
Boulevardier Recipe
The type of whiskey you use is important since it will either be battling against the bitterness of the Campari and sweetness of the vermouth, or will be blended into a wonderful harmony. Many will call for bourbon, which has a bite and sweetness that works well, but we, of course, like to use our American Single Malt.
The ratio is another factor to consider. Although we like to use a 1:1:1 ratio, there is also the 2:1:1 ratio where whiskey is the more dominant spirit. At the end of the day, it’s always up to you.
Ingredients:
1 oz Chemist American Single Malt Whiskey
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice
Stir ingredients for 30 seconds or until thoroughly chilled
Strain into a rocks glass over a big cube
Express orange oil over top and garnish with the orange peel
Conclusion
When it comes to whiskey cocktails, these five are some of these easiest to make and work well with many whiskeys, namely our American Single Malts. If you’re looking to make some of the best whiskey cocktails around, invest in a bottle of something delicious and have fun mixing up and tasting some of these classics.
Best Whiskey Cocktails FAQs
What was the first whiskey cocktail?
The first whiskey cocktail was The Whiskey Cocktail, which was later named The Old Fashioned Cocktail after newer cocktails, like the Manhattan, emerged in the bar world.
What does whiskey mix well with?
Whiskey mixes well with sweet vermouth, ginger ale, lemon juice, and honey, for some examples. However, whiskey is a vast category and different whiskeys mix well with different sodas, fortified wines, liqueurs, and juices.
What is Whiskey?
Whiskey is a grain based non neutral spirit that is aged in wood barrels. This means that the spirit has a base flavor from the grains which is complemented by the sweet and oaky flavors from the barrel.
