21 Best Whiskey Cocktails for 2022

Ingredients

2 ounces of Elijah Craig bourbon
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.75 oz agave syrup
2 cherry tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Crush the tomatoes and four basil leaves. Add the other ingredients and shake over ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Created by Ruben Bansie and served at Bar Velo in Brooklyn, New York

Ingredients

0.75 oz Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Scotch
1 sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters
Prosecco Martini

Instructions

In a champagne flute, soak a piece of sugar with 3 good dashes of bitters. Add the Aberfeldy single malt then top with Prosecco.

Created by Kara Anderson and served at the Scotch Egg Club at Aberfeldy Distillery in Aberfeldy, Scotland

Ingredients

2 pieces Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
1 part Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
3 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters

Instructions

Combine all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass and stir. Pour into a cocktail glass and serve.

Ingredients

2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch
2 oz Coco Lopez coconut cream
3 oz fresh pineapple juice
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
water splash
Pinch of salt

Instructions

In a blender, combine the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a Hurricane glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Ingredients

2 ounces of Four Roses bourbon
0.25 oz maple syrup
5 dashes of raw smoke and salt bitters

Instructions

Stir with ice to cool and dilute. Strain into a double rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange zest.

Created by Andrea Morris, Director of Beverages at Intersect by Lexus in New York

Ingredients

1 ounce fresh lemon
1 oz fresh orange juice
2 ounces Michter’s rye
Red wine cordial*

Instructions

Shake, strain into a highball glass with fresh ice, gently layer the red wine cordial which, because it is denser, will settle at the bottom of the glass. Garnish with an orange zest.

* Red Wine Cordial: In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer a bottle of Shiraz or another bright, juicy red wine with 1 cup orange juice, 2 cinnamon sticks, 0.5 cup sweet vermouth , 0.5 cup pomegranate grenadine and 0.25 cup smoked maple syrup. You can also replace the cordial with Martini & Rosso Rubino, Madeira or a Carcavelos.

By Nicky Beyries of Foreign Cinema in San Francisco

Ingredients

1 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
0.25 oz liquor 43
0.25 oz Dram St. Elizabeth allspice
0.25 oz fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon of PAMA pomegranate liqueur
1 teaspoon Don Nuño Oloroso sherry
3 ounces of hot water

Instructions

Build all ingredients into a small toddy cup and top with hot lemon cinnamon infused water, add garnish and serve.

Created by Brett Esler and served at Whisler’s in Austin, TX

Buy Now Elijah Craig Bourbon, $130

Ingredients

2 oz Suntory Toki whiskey
0.25 oz honey syrup*
0.25oz Amaro Montenegro
1 dash Bitter Truth Grapefruit Bitters

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Top with ice cream and stir. Strain and serve (without ice) in a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a squeeze of squeezed lemon, resting on the rim of the glass.

* Honey Syrup: Use a 1:1 ratio of good quality honey to heat the water. Stir until fully incorporated.

From o ya NYC.

Ingredients

2.5 oz rye whiskey
0.25 oz green Chartreuse
0.5 oz simple syrup
absinthe rinse
2 dashes lemon bitters
lemon twist

Instructions

Add a splash of absinthe to a coupe glass and swirl to lightly coat the inside of the glass. Discard the absinthe. In a mixing glass, combine the rye, chartreuse and syrup over ice. Strain into coupe glass, garnish with lemon bitters and garnish with lemon zest.

Served at the Spice Kitchen and Bar in Cleveland.

Buy Lemon Bitters Now, $14.95

Ingredients

1.25 oz Old Forester rye
0.75 oz Palo Cortado Sherry
0.5 oz Ancho Reyes Ancho Chili Liqueur
0.25 oz Benedictine
1 dash of absinthe
3 dashes of Peychaud bitters
Cajun Rim Seasoning Salt

Instructions

Combine first four ingredients with ice to cool and thin slightly. Garnish half the glass with Cajun salt. Pour the absinthe and bitters into a glass with fresh ice. Strain the cocktail into a glass.

From Catch Steak to New York.

Ingredients

1.5 oz rye whiskey
1 oz simple syrup
0.25 oz of orgeat
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz Fernet
Half of a fresh fig

Instructions

Shake and strain twice over crushed ice. Garnish with half a fig and a dehydrated lemon.

By Saul Ranella of Hog Island Oyster Co.

Ingredients

2 oz Maker’s 46
0.75 oz honey syrup (1:1)*
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
1 drop of sesame oil
Frangelico Rinse

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except Frangelico in a shaker. Shake vigorously for ten seconds. Double strain into a coupe or martini glass rinsed by Frangelico. Garnish with a slice of dehydrated lemon.

*Honey syrup: Combine equal parts by weight, not volume, of honey and warm water and stir to dissolve.

From Covina to New York.

Ingredients

1.5 oz Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey
0.25 oz rich Demerara syrup
5 ounces of hot coffee
A pinch of salt
3 cardamom pods
5-6 oz heavy cream
2 tablespoons of white sugar
The zest of an orange
2 dashes of orange bitters

Instructions

Crush the cardamom pods in the bottom of a preheated Irish coffee glass. Add the whiskey, Demerara syrup, hot coffee and salt and mix. Combine heavy cream, sugar, orange zest and bitters and whisk until thick, but still runny. Float the cream on top of the drink by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon. Add an extra topping, if desired, of a lightly toasted marshmallow.

Created by Joaquín Simó at Pouring Ribbons.

CONTINUED: The best Irish whiskey cocktails

Ingredients

2 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch
0.75 oz fresh lemon juice
0.25 oz simple syrup
2 teaspoons jam or marmalade
1 dash of orange bitters

Instructions

Combine ingredients, shake and strain twice over fresh ice and garnish with an orange twist.

Ingredients

2 ounces of simple syrup
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 ounces of bourbon
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 tsp orange marmalade
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice
1 egg white

Instructions

Boil the simple syrup and rosemary in a small saucepan and let cool to room temperature. Filter the syrup and pour it into a shaker with the bourbon, lemon juice and marmalade. Add ice and shake. Pour into a glass with ice. Add the maple syrup, orange juice and egg white to the shaker. Shake until frothy and pour over cocktail. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Served at Chandelier Bar in Las Vegas.

Buy Now Stonewall Kitchen Blood Orange Marmalade, $11.33

Ingredients

2 ounces of Four Roses bourbon
1 oz Ancho Reyes Chilli Liqueur
0.5 oz cinnamon syrup

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients in a mold with ice and stir. Strain over a large ice cube in a highball glass and garnish with a cinnamon stick and dried Thai red pepper.

From Dream Midtown to New York

Ingredients

1.25 oz Bowmore 100 degree whiskey
0.5 oz Carpano Antica Formula vermouth
2 teaspoons of Jagermeister
1 teaspoon Benedictine DOM
1 teaspoon Mangoyan mango liqueur
Grapefruit zest

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and stir for fifteen seconds. Serve in a chilled glass and garnish with a fresh grapefruit zest.

Created by Kenji Tsubokura and served at Bar Rocking Chair in Kyoto, Japan

Buy Now Carpano Antica Vermouth, $17.99
Buy Now Jagermeister, $11.42
Buy Now Benedictine DOM, $31.44

Ingredients

2 oz bourbon (four years and older recommended)
1 oz Oloroso Sherry (Hidalgo recommended)
0.5 oz Ancho Reyes chili liqueur
0.5 oz Benedictine

Instructions

Combine all of the above ingredients in an Old Fashioned glass, add ice cubes and stir briefly. Garnish with an orange zest.

Created by Kimberly Rosselle and served at Trick Dog in San Francisco

Buy Now Benedictine, $31.44

Ingredients

0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz of orgeat
1 oz Irish whiskey
1 oz scotch blend

Instructions

Add the ingredients to the shaker. Add ice to the shaker mold. Shake long and vigorously to incorporate. Double strain and serve.

By Bobby Rinaldo of Stella Barra Pizzeria & Wine Bar in Chicago.

Ingredients

2 oz Dewar’s 12 Year Old Scotch Blend
1 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
Drizzle with blackberry cream

Instructions

Combine Dewar’s, lemon juice and simple syrup in a glass. Fill with crushed ice, stir and stir. Garnish with crushed ice, then drizzle with blackberry cream.

Created by Dick Bradsell* (*Bradsell is credited with creating the original Bramble cocktail, which uses gin. Here the recipe has been modified to include whiskey.) Served at the Scotch Egg Club at Aberfeldy Distillery in Aberfeldy, Scotland

Buy Now Dewar’s 12 Year Blended Scotch, $37.40

Ingredients

2 ounces of Highspire whiskey
1.5 teaspoons Laphroaig 10 Year Old Scotch
0.5 oz Tempus Fugit Spirits cocoa cream
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur Bar Spoon
A dash of orange bitters
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a highball glass, add ice and stir briskly. Garnish with a cinnamon or chocolate stick.

Created by Matt Lofink and served at CURE in new orleans

Buy Now Scotch Laphroaig 10 Year Old, $45.50
Buy Now Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters, $24.96