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  4. 24 Perfect Whiskey Cocktails to Make Right Now

24 Perfect Whiskey Cocktails to Make Right Now

By Food & Wine and Megan Soll Updated October 13, 2021
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New York Sour
Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

No matter how your favorite label spells it, great whiskey (or whisky) cocktails can thaw you during the lingering months of winter or cool you down when the weather hits a heatwave. We love to sip a classic Manhattan cocktail with rye just as much as a playful punch with bourbon. Looking for a refreshing sip? Try a fruity take on a whiskey sour or a mint julep. Lacking a strong sweet tooth? Whiskey drink recipes don't have to be sweet, as long as bitters and Aperol are around. Read on for some of our favorite whiskey cocktails and punches for every time of year.

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In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood
Credit: David Malosh
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Andrew Volk says this is a popular order at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Maine. The drink, according to Volk, is "approachable but geeky with the salt"—which he adds to balance the bitterness of the artichoke-flavored aperitif Cynar.

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Gaelic Punch

Gaelic Punch
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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For hot punches, young Irish whiskeys work best. Heat intensifies the tannic edge of older whiskeys; young ones stay smooth.

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Bufala Negra

Bufala Negra
Credit: © Wendell T. Webber
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At The Oakroom, where Al Capone regularly played poker in the 1920s, the bartenders use bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Frankfort, Kentucky.

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Barm Brack

Barm Brack
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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This creamy, spiced drink honors an Irish Halloween bread called barm brack, which contains currants and raisins.

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Felicitation Punch

Felicitation Punch
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In this pleasantly tart punch, veteran mixologist David Wondrich mixes Irish whisky with gin to mimic the taste of a richer, older style of gin.

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Colorado Cooler

Colorado Cooler
Credit: © Tina Rupp
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Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey is a distinctive small-batch whiskey made in Denver from 100 percent malted barley. The flavor is malty and slightly vanilla-y.

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Rock 'n' Rolla

Rock 'n' Rolla
Credit: © David Malosh
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Apple juice, lemon juice, and maple syrup make this take on a bourbon sour accessible and easy to prepare.

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Rob Rye

<p>At San Francisco's Linden Room, Ron Boyd created a floral white vermouth featuring chamomile, dried artichokes, and coriander, which he stirs into his twist on the classic Rob Roy cocktail.</p>
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At San Francisco's Linden Room, Ron Boyd created a floral white vermouth featuring chamomile, dried artichokes, and coriander, which he stirs into his twist on the classic Rob Roy cocktail.

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Bottled Manhattan


Bottled Manhattan
Credit: Greg DuPree
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Pre-mixing batches of this rye-forward Manhattan from Existing Conditions in Greenwich Village and chilling them beforehand prevents dilution before pouring the cocktail, resulting in a perfect drink every time.

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Big Batch Rye Sours

Big-Batch Rye Sours Recipe
Credit: Gregory DuPree
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Hibiscus flowers, curaçao, and lemon juice bring bright and refreshing floral notes to this rye-based cocktail. You can also make it a day ahead and keep it chilled until you're ready to serve.

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Old-Fashioned

old fashioned
Credit: Lucas Allen
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According to veteran mixologist David Wondrich, the old-fashioned is a direct descendant of the earliest known "true" cocktail, which in 1806 consisted of "a little water, a little sugar, a lot of liquor and a couple splashes of bitters."

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Blackberry-Mint Julep

<p>Adding blackberries to a mint julep adds fruity flavor to the classic warm-weather cocktail.</p>
Credit: PEDEN + MUNK
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Adding blackberries to a mint julep adds fruity flavor to the classic warm-weather cocktail.

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Matcha Highball

Matcha Highball
Credit: Lucas Allen
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A trip to Japan inspired Denver bartender Jason Patz to combine matcha with Japanese whisky.

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Lady Irish

Lady Irish
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Sean Muldoon likes drinking this tart, sherry-spiked Champagne cocktail with shellfish—especially shrimp, lobster, or crab.

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Manhattan

Manhattan
Credit: Wendell T. Webber
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According to popular legend, this cocktail was created at the Manhattan Club in 1874, at a party given by Winston Churchill's American mother to celebrate Samuel J. Tilden's election as governor of New York.

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Commodore 64

<p>This pre-dinner drink is an orange-infused variation on the Commodore No. 2 (bourbon, crème de cacao, lemon juice, and grenadine) from the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book.</p>
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This pre-dinner drink is an orange-infused variation on the Commodore No. 2 (bourbon, crème de cacao, lemon juice, and grenadine) from the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book.

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Caffè Di Alpi

<p>Warming cocktails on your mind? Bartender Steve Peters dreamed up Caffè di Alpi ("Alpine Coffee" in Italian) as a deliciously warming après-ski drink.</p>
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Warming cocktails on your mind? Bartender Steve Peters dreamed up Caffè di Alpi ("Alpine Coffee" in Italian) as a deliciously warming après-ski drink.

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The Bobby Boucher

the bobby
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Based on the Bobby Burns cocktail of the 1930s, this cocktail trades Scotch for bourbon and vermouth for cherry Herring, making it a little Southern and sweet.

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Sazerac

sazerac
Credit: Lucas Allen
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After the grape-killing phylloxera epidemic in France all but wiped out Cognac production in the 1870s, bartenders replaced it with American-made rye whiskey. The recipe here is for the "modern" (rye-based) Sazerac.

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Po Po Punch

po p
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This citrusy, tiki-style punch is from mixologist Joaquín Simó. It features orange-spiced Ramazzotti Amaro (a bittersweet herbal Italian digestif) and homemade orange cordial.

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Hello Friday

hello friday
Credit: Victor Protasio
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Spicy ginger ale and the baking-spice notes from a big hit of Angostura bitters perk up the bourbon in this bubbly reviver from Chall Gray at Little Jumbo in Asheville, North Carolina. If you can't find Blenheim, look for ginger beer.

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Bourbon Tea Julep

Bourbon Tea Julep
Credit: Kelly Marshall
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Tannins from black tea add a beautiful hint of bitterness to Alexander Smalls' 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.

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Northern Standard

Northern Standard Cocktail Recipe
Credit: Carey Jones
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This drink is even better than a Manhattan, thanks to three different bitter elements. Created by mixologist James Ives, the Northern Standard is a full-flavored cocktail that uses Knob Creek rye aged in charred barrels to balance out the richness of Carpano. It's equally strong as it is smooth.

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New York Sour

New York Sour
Credit: Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas
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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, too. Be sure to pour the wine slowly over the back of the spoon to create the perfect float. If you're feeling adventurous, add an egg white to the shaker for a thicker viscosity.

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By Food & Wine and Megan Soll

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    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 24 In Cold Blood
    2 of 24 Gaelic Punch
    3 of 24 Bufala Negra
    4 of 24 Barm Brack
    5 of 24 Felicitation Punch
    6 of 24 Colorado Cooler
    7 of 24 Rock 'n' Rolla
    8 of 24 Rob Rye
    9 of 24 Bottled Manhattan

    10 of 24 Big Batch Rye Sours
    11 of 24 Old-Fashioned
    12 of 24 Blackberry-Mint Julep
    13 of 24 Matcha Highball
    14 of 24 Lady Irish
    15 of 24 Manhattan
    16 of 24 Commodore 64
    17 of 24 Caffè Di Alpi
    18 of 24 The Bobby Boucher
    19 of 24 Sazerac
    20 of 24 Po Po Punch
    21 of 24 Hello Friday
    22 of 24 Bourbon Tea Julep
    23 of 24 Northern Standard
    24 of 24 New York Sour

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