You've opened your liquor cabinet. You're tired of drinking whiskey neat. It's time to (quite literally) mix things up.

You want some new whiskey cocktail recipes. You want to elevate your favorite whiskey with a few whiskey mixers. We don't plan to disappoint. If you are a whiskey drinker, this article is for you.

While you can always use a cocktail delivery service to supply your booze, becoming an at-home mixologist is also a fun way to learn the art of cocktail making. If you’re not sure what cocktail to make, you’re in luck. Here is your guide to some seriously good whiskey mixology.

 

What Should I Mix With Whiskey?

Before you start mixing drinks, be sure you have the proper bartending tools and cocktail glasses

If you’re not sure what things to mix with whiskey, check out this list:

• Ginger ale or ginger beer
• Soda water
• Coca cola
• Lemon juice or lemonade
• Sweet vermouth
• Coffee
• Grapefruit juice

Now that you know what goes well with whiskey, let's jump straight into Whiskey cocktails and recipes that use some of these whiskey mixers.

Amalfi Cocktail

• 1.5 Ounces of Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 Ounce of Fresh Lemon Juice
• .5 Ounces of Galliano
• 1 Teaspoon of Orgeat Syrup
• 3 to 5 Ounces of Chilled Club Soda

When thinking about what to mix with whiskey, try adding fresh citrus flavors to make a refreshing whisky cocktail. Pour your bourbon whiskey, lemon juice, Galliano, and Orgeat Syrup in a Boston shaker and shake vigorously in a Boston shaker. Strain your whiskey drink into an ice-filled glass (preferably a highball). Add in your club soda and gently stir. The refreshing flavor of this mixed drink is perfect for any whiskey lover.

Bobby Burns

• 1.5 Ounces of Scotch
• 1.5 Ounces of Sweet Vermouth
• .25 Ounces of Bénédictine
• Lemon Twist

Shake the liquid ingredients of your whiskey drink vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink, and drop it in.

Bourbon Buck

• 1 Lemon Wedge
• 2 Ounces of Bourbon
• 5 Ounces of Chilled Ginger Ale

Squeeze the Lemon Wedge into an ice-filled glass. Add the bourbon, top with ginger ale, and stir gently.

There are quite a few variations on this. Essentially, add whiskey of some kind, put the name of the whiskey before the word Buck. Now you have a refreshing whiskey ginger drink that you can make right at home.

Example: A Scotch Buck is the same recipe with Scotch instead of Bourbon. Tada. Go impress your friends with your vast knowledge of mixology. We won't tell.

Dancing Leprechaun

• 1.5 Ounces of Irish Whiskey
• .75 Ounces of Drambuie
• .75 Ounces of fresh Lemon Juice
• 3 to 4 Ounces of Chilled Ginger Ale

Lemon Twist

Pour your Irish Whiskey, Drambuie, and Lemon Juice in a Boston Shaker with ice. Shake it. Like a lot. Strain into an ice-filled glass (preferably a highball).

Add in your ginger ale and stir gently. Twist the lemon peel over the drink and drop it in.

Give a few of these to a friend under 5'6" and you've found yourself a Dancing Leprechaun.

Iced Irish Coffee

• 1.5 Ounces of Irish Whiskey
• 1 Teaspoon of Brown Sugar
• 4 Ounces of Cold Coffee
• 1 to 2 Ounces of Heavy Cream

Pour the whiskey and brown sugar into a chilled old-fashion glass. Stir to combine. Fill with ice, add the coffee and cream, and stir.

Starting your day with Iced Irish Coffee is the best way to say "I really don't want to be here, but I can at least fake like I'm gonna try today."

Manhattan

• 2 Ounces of rye whiskey, bourbon, or Canadian whiskey
• .75 Ounces of Sweet Vermouth
• 2 to 3 Dashes of Bitters (Angostura Bitters)
• 1 Maraschino Cherry

Stir the liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

Mint Julep

• 4 Ounces of Kentucky Bourbon
• 1 Teaspoon of Simple Syrup
• 4 to 6 Mint Sprigs

Pour the liquid ingredients into a glass (julep cup or collins glass if available) filled with crushed ice. Stir until the glass is frosty. Add some flavor and visual appeal with the mint sprigs, then serve with a straw. 

Nevins

• 1.5 Ounces of Bourbon
• .5 Ounces of Apricot Brandy
• 1 Ounce of Fresh Grapefruit Juice
• .5 Ounces of Fresh Lemon Juice
• Dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake all of the ingredients vigorously in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled glass (a cocktail glass if available).

Old Fashion

• 1 Sugar Cube (or 2 Teaspoons of Sugar)
• 3 Dashes of Bitters (Angostura Bitters)
• 1 Strip of Lemon Zest
• 1 Orange Slice
• 1 Maraschino Cherry
• 2.5 Ounces of Bourbon or (Blended Whiskey)
• 1 Orange Slice
• 1 Maraschino Cherry

In the bottom on a chilled Old-Fashioned glass, saturate the sugar cube with the bitters. Add the lemon zest, orange slice, and cherry. Muddle together the sugar, bitters, and fruit.

Pour your bourbon into a glass filled with ice, and stir well. Add the orange slice and cherry for some visual appeal.

Whiskey Sour

• 2 Ounces of Bourbon or Blended Whiskey
• .75 Ounces of Fresh Lemon Juice
• .5 Ounces of Simple Syrup
• Lemon or Orange Slice
• Maraschino Cherry

Shake the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled sour glass. Garnish with the lemon slice and cherry.

 

Get Mixing

We hope these recipes are fun and simple ways to elevate your whiskey game. If you want some inspiration, try our perfectly mixed Maple Apple Toddy, Bourbon Sour, or Apricot Rye Smash to see how our mixologists use their bottles of whiskey.