Whiskey is one of the few liquors that most people drink either neat, straight up, or on the rocks. While this isn’t a bad thing, you may miss out on the chance of enjoying a delicious whiskey cocktail.
Even though whiskey is not the first liquor people go to when making a cocktail, it should not be underestimated.
If you are new to the world of cocktails, it will be best to start with the basics.
Today we will be looking at ten famous whiskey cocktails. We will describe each one, give you the ingredients list and tell you how to make it.
Let’s get started.
#1 Old Fashioned
The old fashioned is a timeless drink. It is a great cocktail since it does not overpower the whiskey but still adds a pinch of sweetness. A classic old fashioned has about three ingredients, give or take, and is very easy to make.
If you are looking to make a true old fashioned, make sure to use an old-fashioned whiskey glass (short glass tumbler).
Ingredients
- 1 sugar cube or ½ tsp of sugar
- 3 dashes of bitters
- 2 ounces of rye or bourbon whiskey
- Orange peel for garnish
- Maraschino cherry for garnish (optional)
Recipe
- Place the sugar in the bottom of your glass. Pour the bitters into the glass, saturating the sugar with the liquid.
- Pour the whiskey into the glass. If you are using ice, add the ice in next and stir.
- Squeeze the orange peel and let a few drops fall in the glass. Place the peel over the ice as a garnish. If you want, add a maraschino cherry as well.
#2 Manhattan Cocktail
One of the most famous whiskey cocktails, the Manhattan contains whiskey, bitters, and sweet vermouth.
If you want a more bold and intense drink, try this with rye whiskey. You can also use Canadian whiskey or bourbon if you want a lighter drink.
You can also use scotch whiskey to make a Rob Roy.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of whiskey (preferably rye, bourbon, or Canadian)
- 2 dashes of aromatic bitters
- 1 ounce of sweet vermouth
- Cherry (garnish)
Recipe
- Fill the cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour the whiskey, bitters, and sweet vermouth into the shaker.
- Mix the ingredients well.
- Strain the liquid into a cocktail glass. Make sure to chill the glass beforehand.
- Use the cherry as a garnish.
#3 Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is one of the most famous whiskey cocktails to enjoy on a cold night. With only four ingredients, you can throw this cocktail together in a few minutes.
Since this is a coffee drink, you will need to put a bit of care and precision into the drink to make the perfect cocktail. Let’s see how to do it.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of strong coffee
- 2 tsp of brown sugar (you can add more if you want)
- 1-ounce heavy cream (lightly whip the cream beforehand)
- 1 ½ ounce of Irish whiskey
Recipe
- Warm your cocktail glass. Next, put the brown sugar in the glass.
- Pour in the Irish whiskey and coffee. Stir the ingredients until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the heavy cream. Grab a spoon and pour the whipped cream onto the back of the spoon. Let the cream slowly fall on top of the coffee.
#4 Tom and Jerry
Much like an Irish coffee, you should enjoy this cocktail on cold, winter evenings. Many people love the Tom and Jerry since it tastes like eggnog, but it is a bit sweeter.
This drink is one of the more flavorsome famous whiskey cocktails to try.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs (separated)
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 ¼ cups of sugar
- Nutmeg
- 1 ¾ ounce of bourbon whiskey
Recipe
- Put the egg whites into a bowl. Beat them until they form stiff peaks. Put ½ cup of sugar in the bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Then add the yolks into the egg white mixture.
- Add the vanilla and the rest of the sugar. Mix the ingredients.
- Heat one cup of milk. Add the milk to your mug.
- Pour the bourbon into the mug. Top this off with three tablespoons of the egg mixture.
- Finish the drink with some sprinkled nutmeg.
#5 Whiskey Sour
If you are in the mood for a more zesty drink that is both sweet and sour, this cocktail will be a good choice.
While many people think that whiskey sours will be too sour or tart, it is actually a well-balanced drink because of the sweetness of both the whiskey and the syrup.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of whiskey
- ½ ounce of simple syrup (you can use up to ¾ ounces of syrup)
- ¾ ounces of lemon juice (freshly-squeezed lemon juice is preferred)
- Maraschino cherry for garnish (you can also use a lemon peel)
Recipe
- Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Then pour in the whiskey, simple syrup, and lemon juice.
- Shake the ingredients together.
- Strain the contents into an old fashioned glass over ice or into a chilled sour glass. (A sour glass is a miniature white wine glass.)
- Garnish your whiskey sour with a maraschino cherry.
#6 John Collins
The John Collins is a very simple and refreshing cocktail that anyone can make. There are only a few basic ingredients that you will probably have in your house.
This summer cocktail is very similar to the whiskey sour, except this one has soda and ice. Let’s find out how to make it.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce of lemon juice
- ½ ounce of simple syrup
- 1 ½ ounce of bourbon whiskey
- 2 ounces of club soda
- Maraschino cherry (garnish)
- Orange slice (garnish)
Recipe
- Grab a John Collins glass (a tall glass that holds 8-16 ounces). Fill the glass with ice cubes, and pour in the bourbon whiskey, syrup, and lemon juice.
- Stir the ingredients well.
- Add some club soda to the glass.
- Use a maraschino cherry and orange slice to garnish the drink.
#7 Hot Toddy
If you are looking for a hot drink to sip by the fire, a hot toddy will always be a good choice. You can use a variety of alcohols for this drink, but today we will be using whiskey.
Since the drink has lemon and tea, many people love to make this cocktail when they feel a bit under the weather.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tbsp of honey
- 1 tea bag (black or green tea)
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 1 ½ ounce of your favorite whiskey
- Lemon wedge (garnish)
- Cinnamon stick (garnish)
Recipe
- Brew the tea in a separate cup. While you are waiting for the tea, pour hot water into an Irish coffee glass to heat it up.
- After the glass warms up, dump the water out. Next, pour the honey into the glass.
- Add the whiskey to the glass. Then add the lemon juice, and pour in the tea. Mix the drink well to make sure the honey dissolves.
- Add the cinnamon stick and lemon wedge as a garnish.
#8 Highball
The highball is one of the easiest and most famous whiskey cocktails. It consists of two ingredients: whiskey and ginger ale.
People normally use bourbon, rye, Canadian, or blended whiskies for this cocktail. You can also use an Irish whiskey, in which the cocktail will be called an Irish Buck.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of your favorite whiskey
- 4-6 ounces of ginger ale
Recipe
- Grab a highball glass (a tall glass that holds 8-16 ounces) and fill it with ice. Next, pour the whiskey into the glass.
- Pour the ginger ale into the glass and serve.
#9 Vieux Carre
Walter Bergeron, a bartender, created this iconic cocktail in New Orleans during the 1930s. The cocktail represents New Orleans well since it is bitter, smooth, sweet, and bold all at once.
If you are looking for an intense drink with the right amount of fruitiness, this will be a great choice. Let’s see how to make it.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce of rye whiskey (George Dickel rye whiskey, if you have it)
- ¾ ounce sweet vermouth
- ¾ ounce cognac
- 2 tsp of Benedictine liqueur
- 4 dashes of aromatic bitters (Dale DeGroff’s pimento aromatic bitters preferably)
- Maraschino cherry (garnish)
Recipe
- Pour the rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, cognac, bitters, and benedictine liqueur into a glass with ice. Stir the mixture well until it is chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a cocktail glass. You can also use a rock glass with ice.
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
#10 Whiskey Cobbler
One of the most famous whiskey cocktails is the whiskey cobbler. It is one of the easiest drinks to make.
Beginner whiskey enthusiasts should be warned, though. Whiskey cobblers know how to pack a punch. The cocktail is strong, but the syrup tones it down just enough. If you want a lighter drink, try using bourbon.
Ingredients
- 3 ounces of whiskey
- 1 to 2 ounces of club soda
- ½ to 1 ounce of simple syrup
- Lemon slices (garnish)
- Orange slices (garnish)
- Cherry (garnish)
Recipe
- Fill an old fashioned glass or wine glass with crushed ice. Add the whiskey and syrup and mix well.
- Pour in the club soda.
- Garnish with lemon and orange slices and a cherry.
Conclusion
There are many famous whiskey cocktails that taste delicious.
If you are going for a hot drink, try out an Irish coffee, a tom and jerry, or a hot toddy. On the other hand, the manhattan cocktail, John Collins, or a whiskey sour will be great for summer nights.
Looking for a true classic? Make an old fashioned, a Vieux Carre or a highball.
We hope this guide has helped you find the perfect whiskey cocktail. Try out a few different drinks with a few different whiskies to find your favorite.
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