Four Whiskey Cocktail Recipes

Peruse GAYOT's guide to the best bourbon, scotch & rye cocktails
By Gayot Editors

Whiskey Cocktails Made With Bourbon, Scotch & Rye

When it comes to crafting the perfect whiskey cocktail at home, you don’t need much to set yourself up for success. To help you out, we’ve collected a handful of whiskey cocktail recipes using bourbon, scotch and rye. So get ready to raise a glass and step up your bartending game.

RELATED

• Best Bourbons
• Best Single Malt Scotch
• Best Blended Scotch Whiskies
• and the Best Ryes for more sipping fun.

1. BLT Cocktail

You’ve heard of gin and tonic, but this simple three-ingredient cocktail is a tasty twist that civilizes the bourbon flavor without burying it.

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 1/3 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
– 4 oz. tonic
– Lemon wedge

METHOD:
• Pour the bourbon and tonic over ice in a rocks glass.
• Garnish with a generous wedge of lemon and enjoy.

> Recipe courtesy of Bulleit Bourbon

2. Dewar’s Smash Cocktail

Dewar's Smash Cocktail is a refreshing cocktail using blended Scotch whisky

This refreshing cocktail is ideal for warmer months, but since whisky is a beloved “winter spirit,” you’d be remiss to dismiss it during the cooler season.

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 parts Dewar’s White Label Blended Scotch Whisky
– 2 heaping teaspoons granulated sugar (or 3/4 part simple syrup)
– 2 wedges of lemon
– 8 fresh mint leaves
– Soda water

METHOD:
• Muddle the lemon, mint and sugar in the bottom of a mixing glass.
• Add Dewar’s White Label, shake and strain into a Collins/highball glass filled with crushed ice.
• Top with soda water and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

> Recipe courtesy of Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky

3. Russell’s Rye Manhattan

Russell's Rye Manhattan offers a classic Manhattan taste

There’s no need to reach for a chaser with Russell’s Reserve Rye, but the 90-proof spirit still rewards drinkers with a warmth that’s easy to trace from mouth to stomach. This simple cocktail offers the classic Manhattan experience. 

INGREDIENTS:
– 3 parts Russell’s Reserve Rye
– 1 part sweet vermouth
– 2 dashes of Angostura bitters

METHOD:
• Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice.
• Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.
• Garnish with three brandied cherries.

MORE: Guinness Irish Whiskey Float Recipe

4. Sazerac

Try the timeless Sazerac cocktail with this easy-to-make recipe

The famed Sazerac cocktail is a classic, but did you know the original Sazerac was made with brandy, absinthe, a lump of sugar and a few drops of bitters? It was a medicinal recipe created by Creole apothecary Antoine Amedie Peychaud.

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 1/2 oz. Sazerac Rye Whiskey
– 1 tsp. Pernod or Herbsaint liqueur
– 1 tsp. sugar
– 3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
– Ice

METHOD:
• Coat a chilled, old-fashioned glass with the Pernod or Herbsaint by swirling it around the entire sides and bottom of the glass.
• In a cocktail shaker, add a few ice cubes, rye whiskey, sugar and bitters.
• Shake gently, then strain into the glass.

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