21 Whiskey Cocktail Recipes for Every Enthusiast

Maple-Bourbon Smash
Photo:

Julia Hartbeck

It's perfectly fine to enjoy your whiskey neat or on the rocks, but whiskey cocktails (or "whisky" depending on where you are in the world) can highlight the spirit's flavor profile, manifest nostalgia, or enhance an occasion. The classic Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Mint Julep, and Rob Roy certainly celebrate the best of whiskey's characteristics, and even whiskey lovers can find something new in creative whiskey drinks like the Scotch-based Paris Between the Wars, a rye-spiked Northern Standard, or a the warm Irish whiskey-kissed Gaelic Punch. From the whiskey cocktails every home bartender should know to interesting whiskey drinks every enthusiast should try, these are our best whiskey cocktail recipes.

01 of 21

Old Fashioned

old fashioned cocktail
Lucas Allen

According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the old-fashioned is a direct descendant of the earliest known cocktail, which in 1806 consisted of "a little water, a little sugar, a lot of liquor and a couple splashes of bitters." Purists may scoff at the inclusion of a muddled cherry, but if it brings you pleasure, don't hold back.

02 of 21

New York Sour

New York Sour
Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

With the perfect balance of fruity red wine and smoky-sweet bourbon, the New York Sour cocktail is a classic for a reason. Shaking the cocktail with large ice cubes will chill the cocktail without diluting it, and those large cubes look great in a rocks glass or a great whiskey glass, too.

03 of 21

Paris Between the Wars

Paris Between the Wars Cocktail
Photo by Victor Protasio / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

With rich smokiness from the blended Scotch, rounded bitterness from Campari, and a tart bite from fresh lemon juice, this cocktail from New Orleans hospitality legends Ti and Lally Brennan is well-balanced and extra-refreshing thanks to a splash of sparkling wine.

04 of 21

Classic Mint Julep

Mint Julep
Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis

When New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian mixes mint juleps at Bar UnCommon, he recites an ode, written in the 1890s by a Kentucky newspaperman, that calls the cocktail "the zenith of man's pleasure…the very dream of drinks."

05 of 21

Northern Standard

Northern Standard Cocktail Recipe
Carey Jones

This drink is a shade more complex than a Manhattan, thanks to three different bitter elements. Created by mixologist James Ives, this full-flavored cocktail uses rye aged in charred barrels to balance out the richness of Carpano vermouth for a sip that's equally strong and smooth.

06 of 21

Bourbon-Tea Julep

Bourbon Tea Julep
Kelly Marshall

Tannins from black tea add a beautiful hint of bitterness to author and bon vivant Alexander Small's twist on a classic mint julep. Oleo saccharum, also known as citrus oil, is made here by steeping lemon peels in sugar; its bright flavor is the perfect lift to finish each sip.

07 of 21

Classic Manhattan

Manhattan Cocktail
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Rye whiskey, vermouth, and Angostura bitters are all it takes to craft this iconic cocktail. A cherry is the standard garnish, but if a lemon twist fits your mood, follow that bliss.

08 of 21

Bottled Manhattan

Bottled Manhattan
Greg DuPree

Pre-mixing batches of Dave Arnold and Don Lee's rye-forward Manhattan in bottles and stashing them in a cooler allows you to separate chilling from dilution, resulting in a perfect drink every time. Lee notes, "Making a bottled cocktail is great for dinner party planning, too, because it lets you do the work ahead of time."

09 of 21

Maple Bourbon Smash

Maple-Bourbon Smash

Julia Hartbeck

Grade A maple syrup isn't just for pancakes! We recommend using just half an ounce for a sweet, soothing sipper.

10 of 21

Paper Plane

Paper Plane
Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter

One of our favorite whiskey cocktails, the Paper Plane has just enough sweetness to counteract its bitter and sour notes, and its signature orange hue comes from Aperol.

11 of 21

The Belmont

The Belmont Cocktail Recipe
Victor Protasio

2017 F&W Best New Chef Angie Mar's famed restaurant The Beatrice Inn may (sadly) be no longer, but this herbaceous, citrus-forward whiskey cocktail remains absolutely worth making.

12 of 21

Scotch and Soda

Scotch and soda recipe

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food styling by Lucy Simon

This simple, two-ingredient drink showcases the genius of a highball cocktail: this one-two punch combination elongates a spirit like Scotch into a taller drink while club soda dilutes the strong spirit and intensifies its aromas with effervescence. 

13 of 21

Arigato Sour

Arigato Sour

Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

This play on a sweet and tart whiskey sour features a citrus you may not have tried before: kabosu from Japan. Salvatore Tafuri uses Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey for its fruit-forward characteristics. 

14 of 21

Mr. J

Mr. J

Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Port-finished Scotch blends with coffee and chocolate in this fireside-ready cocktail.

15 of 21

Matcha Highball

Matcha Highball
Lucas Allen

A trip to Japan inspired Denver bartender Jason Patz to combine matcha (a vivid green-tea powder) with Japanese whisky. 

16 of 21

Gaelic Punch

Gaelic Punch
© Tina Rupp

Punch prophet David Wondrich notes that for hot drinks, young Irish whiskeys work best. Heat intensifies the tannic edge of older whiskey; young ones stay smooth. Nutmeg, cloves, and citrus peels round out the cozy comfort.

17 of 21

Blackberry-Mint Julep

Blackberry-Mint Julep
© Peden + Munk

Blackberries add fruity, summery flavor to the classic warm-weather whiskey cocktail.

18 of 21

In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood
David Malosh

The most popular order at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Maine, Andrew Volk's whiskey drink is "approachable but geeky with the salt," which he adds to balance the bitterness of the artichoke-flavored aperitif Cynar. 

19 of 21

Whiskey Chai

Whiskey Chai
Fredrika Stjärne

This boozy, fragrant nightcap shines when you use high-quality cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

20 of 21

Irish Buck Cocktail

Irish Buck Cocktail
Eva Kolenko

Light yet oaky, Irish whiskey joins tart lemon juice, honey, and spicy ginger beer in this refreshing, fizzy, basil-scented Irish Buck cocktail.

21 of 21

Homemade Eggnog

glasses of homemade eggnog
Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

Instead of making anyone choose between bourbon, rum, or brandy, this eggnog recipe generously calls for all three, resulting in a festive, complexly flavored drink that tastes deceptively innocent. 

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