Best Whiskey Cocktails
Rich, warming, and spirit-forward. These are the best whiskey cocktails, from timeless classics to modern riffs on bourbon and rye.
Old Fashioned
The original cocktail. A spirit-forward showcase of whiskey, mellowed slightly with sugar and aromatic bitters.
Whiskey Sour
A silky, tart classic where bourbon meets fresh lemon juice and a touch of sweetness, optionally crowned with a frothy egg white foam.
Manhattan
A smooth, spirit-forward blend of whiskey and sweet vermouth, accented with aromatic bitters. Dark and mysterious.
Boulevardier
A richer, darker cousin to the Negroni, swapping gin for whiskey. Warm, complex, and deeply flavorful.
Mint Julep
A Kentucky Derby staple of bourbon muddled with fresh mint and sugar, served over crushed ice.
Whiskey Smash
Bourbon muddled with lemon and fresh mint into a bright, herbal, citrus-forward cooler.
Sazerac
A New Orleans original of rye whiskey and absinthe rinse, sweetened with sugar and bittered with Peychaud's.
Rob Roy
A Scotch-based Manhattan variant, stirred with sweet vermouth and a dash of aromatic bitters.
Irish Coffee
Hot coffee spiked with Irish whiskey and brown sugar, finished with a float of lightly whipped cream.
Penicillin
A modern classic of blended Scotch, honey-ginger syrup, and lemon, finished with a smoky Islay float.
Rusty Nail
Scotch whisky and Drambuie stirred together for a warming, honeyed, spirit-forward sipper.
Hot Toddy
A soothing hot mix of whiskey, honey, lemon, and warm water, perfect for cold nights.
Vieux Carré
A rich, stirred New Orleans classic blending rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, and two kinds of bitters.
Gold Rush
A bourbon sour sweetened with honey syrup and brightened with fresh lemon juice.
Paper Plane
A modern equal-parts classic of bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice.
Whiskey Highball
A crisp, effervescent mix of whiskey and soda water over ice, simple and endlessly drinkable.
Trinidad Sour
An unusual, bitters-forward sour that leads with Angostura bitters instead of a base spirit.
Black Manhattan
A darker Manhattan riff swapping sweet vermouth for rich, bitter amaro.
Amaro Sour
A bittersweet whiskey sour built around a rich amaro base instead of straight whiskey.
Coffee Old Fashioned
A rich twist on the classic, stirring bourbon with coffee liqueur and aromatic bitters.
Kentucky Coffee
Hot coffee spiked with bourbon and brown sugar for a Southern take on the Irish Coffee.
Blood and Sand
A rare four-way balance of Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice.
Godfather
A simple, boozy sipper pairing Scotch whisky with sweet, nutty amaretto over ice.
Kentucky Mule
A bourbon spin on the Moscow Mule, pairing warm oak notes with spicy ginger beer.
Brown Derby
A honeyed, citrusy bourbon classic named for the famous Hollywood restaurant.
Algonquin
A crisp, unexpected classic pairing rye whiskey with dry vermouth and pineapple juice.
Ward Eight
A tart, citrusy rye classic finished with a touch of grenadine for color and sweetness.
Seelbach Cocktail
A celebratory bourbon classic lifted with triple sec, bitters, and a champagne top.
Presbyterian
A light, fizzy whiskey highball lengthened with equal parts ginger ale and soda water.
New York Sour
A whiskey sour crowned with a dramatic float of dry red wine.
Blinker
A tart, ruby-hued rye sour brightened with fresh grapefruit and a touch of raspberry syrup.
Remember the Maine
A bold, smoky Manhattan variant spiked with cherry brandy and a rinse of absinthe.
Irish Mule
A smooth Moscow Mule variation swapping vodka for mellow Irish whiskey.
Boilermaker
A no-frills bar classic pairing a cold beer with a neat shot of whiskey on the side.
Frisco Sour
A honeyed rye sour rounded out with the herbal sweetness of Bénédictine.
Toronto Cocktail
A bittersweet rye classic with a bracing dose of pungent Fernet-Branca.
Scofflaw
A tart, ruby-hued Prohibition-era classic: rye whiskey, dry vermouth, lemon, and grenadine, sharpened with orange bitters.
Revolver
A bold, spirit-forward bourbon cocktail enriched with coffee liqueur and a fragrant orange bitters rinse — the Old Fashioned's caffeinated cousin.
De La Louisiane
A complex New Orleans stirred cocktail: rye, sweet vermouth, and Bénédictine bound together with absinthe and Peychaud's bitters.
Monte Carlo
An elegant three-ingredient whiskey cocktail: rye softened by Bénédictine's herbal honey and anchored with Angostura bitters.
Fancy Free
A forgotten gem from the Old Fashioned family: bourbon, maraschino liqueur, and a double-bitters finish that's clean and quietly complex.
Cameron's Kick
An unexpected pairing of Irish whiskey and Scotch, mellowed with orgeat's almond sweetness and a sharp hit of fresh lemon.
Lynchburg Lemonade
A crowd-pleasing whiskey highball with a party spirit: Jack Daniel's, triple sec, sweet-and-sour, and a lemon-lime soda finish.
John Collins
The original Collins cocktail: bourbon or rye whiskey brightened with fresh lemon, sweetened, and topped with soda water.