Drinks Cocktails Whiskey & Bourbon Cocktails 21 Whiskey Cocktail Recipes for Every Enthusiast By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 9, 2023 Close Photo: Julia Hartbeck It's perfectly fine to enjoy your whiskey neat or on the rocks, but whiskey cocktails (or "whisky" depending on where you are in the world) can highlight the spirit's flavor profile, manifest nostalgia, or enhance an occasion. The classic Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Mint Julep, and Rob Roy certainly celebrate the best of whiskey's characteristics, and even whiskey lovers can find something new in creative whiskey drinks like the Scotch-based Paris Between the Wars, a rye-spiked Northern Standard, or a the warm Irish whiskey-kissed Gaelic Punch. From the whiskey cocktails every home bartender should know to interesting whiskey drinks every enthusiast should try, these are our best whiskey cocktail recipes. 01 of 21 Old Fashioned Lucas Allen According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the old-fashioned is a direct descendant of the earliest known cocktail, which in 1806 consisted of "a little water, a little sugar, a lot of liquor and a couple splashes of bitters." Purists may scoff at the inclusion of a muddled cherry, but if it brings you pleasure, don't hold back. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 New York Sour Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas With the perfect balance of fruity red wine and smoky-sweet bourbon, the New York Sour cocktail is a classic for a reason. Shaking the cocktail with large ice cubes will chill the cocktail without diluting it, and those large cubes look great in a rocks glass or a great whiskey glass, too. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Paris Between the Wars Photo by Victor Protasio / Prop Styling by Christine Keely With rich smokiness from the blended Scotch, rounded bitterness from Campari, and a tart bite from fresh lemon juice, this cocktail from New Orleans hospitality legends Ti and Lally Brennan is well-balanced and extra-refreshing thanks to a splash of sparkling wine. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Classic Mint Julep Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis When New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian mixes mint juleps at Bar UnCommon, he recites an ode, written in the 1890s by a Kentucky newspaperman, that calls the cocktail "the zenith of man's pleasure…the very dream of drinks." Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Northern Standard Carey Jones This drink is a shade more complex than a Manhattan, thanks to three different bitter elements. Created by mixologist James Ives, this full-flavored cocktail uses rye aged in charred barrels to balance out the richness of Carpano vermouth for a sip that's equally strong and smooth. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Bourbon-Tea Julep Kelly Marshall Tannins from black tea add a beautiful hint of bitterness to author and bon vivant Alexander Small's twist on a classic mint julep. Oleo saccharum, also known as citrus oil, is made here by steeping lemon peels in sugar; its bright flavor is the perfect lift to finish each sip. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Classic Manhattan Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver Rye whiskey, vermouth, and Angostura bitters are all it takes to craft this iconic cocktail. A cherry is the standard garnish, but if a lemon twist fits your mood, follow that bliss. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Bottled Manhattan Greg DuPree Pre-mixing batches of Dave Arnold and Don Lee's rye-forward Manhattan in bottles and stashing them in a cooler allows you to separate chilling from dilution, resulting in a perfect drink every time. Lee notes, "Making a bottled cocktail is great for dinner party planning, too, because it lets you do the work ahead of time." Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Maple Bourbon Smash Julia Hartbeck Grade A maple syrup isn't just for pancakes! We recommend using just half an ounce for a sweet, soothing sipper. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Paper Plane Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter One of our favorite whiskey cocktails, the Paper Plane has just enough sweetness to counteract its bitter and sour notes, and its signature orange hue comes from Aperol. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 The Belmont Victor Protasio 2017 F&W Best New Chef Angie Mar's famed restaurant The Beatrice Inn may (sadly) be no longer, but this herbaceous, citrus-forward whiskey cocktail remains absolutely worth making. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Scotch and Soda Matt Taylor-Gross / Food styling by Lucy Simon This simple, two-ingredient drink showcases the genius of a highball cocktail: this one-two punch combination elongates a spirit like Scotch into a taller drink while club soda dilutes the strong spirit and intensifies its aromas with effervescence. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Arigato Sour Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This play on a sweet and tart whiskey sour features a citrus you may not have tried before: kabosu from Japan. Salvatore Tafuri uses Suntory Toki Japanese whiskey for its fruit-forward characteristics. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Mr. J Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Port-finished Scotch blends with coffee and chocolate in this fireside-ready cocktail. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Matcha Highball Lucas Allen A trip to Japan inspired Denver bartender Jason Patz to combine matcha (a vivid green-tea powder) with Japanese whisky. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Gaelic Punch © Tina Rupp Punch prophet David Wondrich notes that for hot drinks, young Irish whiskeys work best. Heat intensifies the tannic edge of older whiskey; young ones stay smooth. Nutmeg, cloves, and citrus peels round out the cozy comfort. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Blackberry-Mint Julep © Peden + Munk Blackberries add fruity, summery flavor to the classic warm-weather whiskey cocktail. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 In Cold Blood David Malosh The most popular order at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Maine, Andrew Volk's whiskey drink is "approachable but geeky with the salt," which he adds to balance the bitterness of the artichoke-flavored aperitif Cynar. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Whiskey Chai Fredrika Stjärne This boozy, fragrant nightcap shines when you use high-quality cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Irish Buck Cocktail Eva Kolenko Light yet oaky, Irish whiskey joins tart lemon juice, honey, and spicy ginger beer in this refreshing, fizzy, basil-scented Irish Buck cocktail. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Homemade Eggnog Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones Instead of making anyone choose between bourbon, rum, or brandy, this eggnog recipe generously calls for all three, resulting in a festive, complexly flavored drink that tastes deceptively innocent. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit