Whiskey mixes with more than most people expect. The quickest drinks need only one other bottle: soda water, ginger ale or cola. The classic cocktails add bitters, vermouth, lemon or honey, and most of them use a whiskey you probably already own. Below are the mixers that work without a recipe, which style of whiskey suits which drink, and twelve cocktails from two-ingredient stirs to a modern classic with fresh ginger. For the full set, see the whiskey cocktails collection.
A note on spelling: Scotch, Canadian and Japanese producers write whisky, while Irish and most American producers write whiskey. It's the same family of spirit, and both spellings are correct.
Whiskey Drinks at a Glance
Strength and calories are per serving, from the recipe data behind each drink's recipe card.
| Drink | Whiskey and what goes in with it | ABV | Calories | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Fashioned | Bourbon, sugar, Angostura bitters | 30% | 155 kcal | Medium |
| Whiskey Sour | Bourbon, lemon, sugar syrup, egg white | 17% | 229 kcal | Medium |
| Manhattan | Rye, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters | 27.5% | 167 kcal | Easy |
| Godfather | Scotch, amaretto | 28% | 195 kcal | Easy |
| Rusty Nail | Scotch, Drambuie | 29% | 148 kcal | Easy |
| Irish Coffee | Irish whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, cream | 9% | 163 kcal | Medium |
| Hot Toddy | Whiskey, honey, lemon, cinnamon, hot water | 4.5% | 120 kcal | Easy |
| Mint Julep | Bourbon, mint, sugar, cracked ice | 22% | 164 kcal | Medium |
| Boulevardier | Rye, Campari, sweet vermouth | 24% | 210 kcal | Easy |
| Paper Plane | Bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol, lemon | 16% | 168 kcal | Easy |
| New York Sour | Rye, lemon, sugar syrup, red wine float | 16.5% | 224 kcal | Medium |
| Penicillin | Blended Scotch, lemon, honey, ginger, Islay malt | 19.5% | 220 kcal | Medium |
What to Mix with Whiskey (No Recipe Needed)
The simplest whiskey drink is one part whiskey to three parts mixer over plenty of ice. In a tall glass that's 50 ml (1.7 oz) of whiskey topped with 150 ml (5 oz) of mixer. The options that work best:
- Soda water makes a whisky highball, the lightest and driest choice. In Japan the highball (haibōru) is one of the most common ways to drink whisky, poured in bars and sold ready-made in cans. Chill the glass and the soda, fill with ice, and stir once so the bubbles survive.
- Ginger ale makes a sweeter, gently spiced long drink. Add a wedge of lemon or lime to sharpen it.
- Cola makes a whiskey and Coke, the most common bar order of all. A squeeze of lemon or lime stops it tasting flat.
- Apple juice brings out the vanilla in bourbon; top with a splash of soda if it's too sweet.
- Green ginger wine makes a Whisky Mac, a British winter classic of Scotch and ginger wine, usually three parts to two.
- On the rocks, no mixer at all: pour 50 ml (1.7 oz) over one large ice cube. The ice chills and slightly dilutes the whiskey, which softens the alcohol and opens up the aroma. A few drops of water do the same for whisky served neat.
Bourbon, Rye, Scotch or Irish: Which Whiskey for Which Drink?
Each cocktail below is built around one style, and the style changes how it tastes.
- Bourbon is American whiskey made from at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels. It's sweeter, with vanilla and caramel, and it's the default in the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Mint Julep and Paper Plane.
- Rye is spicier and drier. It holds its own against sweet vermouth and Campari, which is why the Manhattan, Boulevardier and New York Sour use it.
- Scotch is made in Scotland. Use a blended Scotch for mixing: it's smoother and cheaper than single malt. Smoky Islay malts are strong enough to use by the spoonful, as in the float on a Penicillin.
- Irish whiskey is usually light and smooth, the traditional choice for Irish Coffee.
Swapping styles won't ruin a drink. Bourbon in a Manhattan gives a rounder, sweeter version; it's a matter of taste, not a mistake.
The 12 Best Cocktails with Whiskey
1. Old Fashioned
The drink most people mean when they say "whiskey cocktail", and the first one worth learning. The Old Fashioned is 45 ml (1.5 oz) of bourbon, a sugar cube, a few dashes of Angostura bitters and a splash of water, muddled in the glass until the sugar dissolves, then topped with ice and the whiskey. At 30% ABV it's the strongest drink on the list, made for slow sipping. Finish with an orange twist and a cocktail cherry. Our Old Fashioned guide covers the ice, the sugar and the most common mistakes.
2. Whiskey Sour
Bourbon, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup, shaken hard with ice. The Whiskey Sour uses 45 ml (1.5 oz) of bourbon, 25 ml (0.8 oz) of lemon and 20 ml (0.7 oz) of syrup, which gives a drink that's tart first and sweet second. A few drops of egg white add a silky foam; if you use it, shake longer and harder. Serve straight up or over ice with half an orange slice and a cherry. At 229 kcal it's the highest-calorie drink here.
3. Manhattan
Rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and a dash of Angostura, stirred and strained into a chilled glass. The Manhattan uses 50 ml (1.7 oz) of rye to 20 ml (0.7 oz) of vermouth, and it's rated easy because there's nothing to shake or muddle. Stir with ice until the mixing glass feels cold, so the drink chills and dilutes without going cloudy. Garnish with a cocktail cherry. At 27.5% ABV it's strong and smooth.
4. Godfather
Two ingredients, one glass, two minutes. The Godfather is 45 ml (1.5 oz) of Scotch and 22 ml (0.75 oz) of amaretto, stirred gently over ice in a rocks glass. The almond liqueur rounds off the Scotch, so this suits people who find Scotch too harsh on its own. It's 28% ABV, so treat it as a sipper rather than a long drink.
5. Rusty Nail
Scotch and Drambuie, a liqueur made from Scotch whisky, honey and herbs. The Rusty Nail is 45 ml (1.5 oz) of Scotch and 25 ml (0.8 oz) of Drambuie stirred over ice, with a lemon twist. At 148 kcal it's the second-lowest in calories after the Hot Toddy, and at 29% ABV one of the strongest. Use a blended Scotch and save single malts for drinking neat.
6. Irish Coffee
Hot coffee, Irish whiskey and sugar, with cold cream floated on top. The Irish Coffee uses 120 ml (4 oz) of coffee, 50 ml (1.7 oz) of whiskey and at least a teaspoon of sugar, stirred until the sugar dissolves. Don't skip the sugar: it makes the coffee dense enough to hold the cream up. Pour 50 ml (1.7 oz) of thick, chilled cream slowly over the back of a spoon, then drink the hot coffee through the cold layer without stirring.
Got whiskey, but no idea what else is in the cupboard?
Pocket Bartender shows every drink you can make with the bottles you already have.
7. Hot Toddy
The cold-weather drink: whiskey and honey topped with boiling water. The Hot Toddy recipe makes two mugs. Whisk 50 ml (1.7 oz) of whiskey with 15 ml (0.5 oz) of honey, split it between two heatproof glasses, add half a cinnamon stick to each and top up with boiling water. Finish with a splash of lemon juice and a lemon slice studded with a clove. At 4.5% ABV and 120 kcal it's the lightest drink on the list.
8. Mint Julep
Bourbon, fresh mint, sugar and a lot of ice. The Mint Julep is the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby. Gently muddle the mint with a teaspoon of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of water in a tall glass, fill it with cracked ice, add 60 ml (2 oz) of bourbon and stir until the outside of the glass frosts over. At 22% ABV it's stronger than it tastes, because the cold and the mint hide the alcohol.
9. Boulevardier
A Negroni with whiskey in place of gin. The Boulevardier is 45 ml (1.5 oz) of rye with 30 ml (1 oz) each of Campari and sweet vermouth, stirred with ice, strained and finished with orange zest. The extra whiskey makes it rounder and warmer than a Negroni, with less of the gin's sharp edge. Bourbon is the common swap and gives a sweeter version. 24% ABV, 210 kcal.
10. Paper Plane
A modern classic in equal parts: bourbon, Amaro Nonino, Aperol and lemon juice, 30 ml (1 oz) of each. The Paper Plane was created by bartender Sam Ross, and the equal measures make it easy to remember. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled glass. It's bittersweet and orange-led, and lighter than it looks at 16% ABV. Amaro Nonino is the bottle you're least likely to have; Amaro Montenegro is a softer substitute.
11. New York Sour
A Whiskey Sour with a layer of dry red wine on top. The New York Sour shakes 60 ml (2 oz) of rye with 30 ml (1 oz) of lemon juice, about 22 ml (0.75 oz) of sugar syrup and a few drops of egg white, then strains it over ice. Pour 15 ml (0.5 oz) of red wine slowly over the back of a spoon so it settles as a red band. The wine adds dryness and tannin, and the drink looks far more work than it is.
12. Penicillin
The most involved drink here, and another Sam Ross creation. For the Penicillin, muddle two or three slices of fresh ginger in a shaker, then shake with 60 ml (2 oz) of blended Scotch, 22.5 ml (0.75 oz) of lemon juice and 22.5 ml (0.75 oz) of honey syrup. Fine-strain over ice and float 7.5 ml (0.25 oz) of smoky Islay single malt on top. You smell the smoke first, then taste honey, lemon and ginger. 19.5% ABV, 220 kcal.
Which Whiskey Drink Should You Start With?
If you have only a bottle of whiskey and a fridge, make a highball with soda water or ginger ale, or pour it on the rocks. If you have bitters and sugar, make an Old Fashioned. If you have lemons, make a Whiskey Sour. With a bottle of Scotch and one liqueur, the Godfather or Rusty Nail needs nothing else but ice. On a cold night, the Hot Toddy needs a kettle and no bar tools at all.
For more ideas, browse the full whiskey cocktails collection.