Whisky Cocktails

[Gov]

I decided I would mix things up a bit being close to summer and all. I tried scotch and soda (used Teacher's) and Scotch and Ginger Ale. Then I tried Teacher's with a bit of ice. Tolerable, but not very good. My conclusion......don't mess with what comes out of the bottle. If anything, maybe a few drops of water.

[shoganai]

Sometimes I like to season my bourbon with a dash of bitters and a slice of orange, but that's about as crazy as I get.

[martin grant]

Cocktails with whisky!???

Brilliant. I'm a huge fan of cocktails and love to experiment. It's amazing how many people tell me they don't like whisky but will happy drink a whisky based cocktail. It's not really a party if you don't start with a cocktail or two now is it? I only use blended whisky for cocktails and keep the 'good stuff' for enjoying on it's own.

My current favourite is Chin Chin. In a shaker, shake up ice, 2 shots blended whisky, 1 shot runny honey and 1 shot good apple juice. Strain into a champagne flute and top up with dry champagne. Fantastic! Golden honey in colour, and flavour.

Anyone else got any ideas they want to share

[Deactivated Member]

The only one I've ever had contained An Cnoc. Can't remember what it was called or what was in it, but it was really delicious and refreshing. And sweet. They were giving them out at a Chinese art exhibition in Glasgow a year or so ago that I was invited to. So I had to try one...

[arkle]

Gosh Martin, you certainly live the high life!, what do you do with the rest of the Champagne?
(I sometimes 'vat' my whisky a 'living bottle' type of thing , but thats all)

[TreacleSponge]

I'm up for cocktails, and I don't exclude whisky cocktails from that. But often if you use good ingredients you get a better drink, so I don't think it always needs to be a blend for a cocktail. Is that a terrible thing to say here?

Martin, that Chin Chin sounds great, any chance of an invite to your parties?

[CousinLarry]

I had a couple of Rob Roy's last night with Famous Grouse. They tasted great.

I tried a scotch and soda with the grouse on Saturday and all I could taste was caramel. It was not good at all.

[Gov]

I had a couple of Rob Roy's last night with Famous Grouse. They tasted great.

I tried a scotch and soda with the grouse on Saturday and all I could taste was caramel. It was not good at all.

Are you able to taste the caramel when drinking the Grouse neat?

[CousinLarry]

I had a couple of Rob Roy's last night with Famous Grouse. They tasted great.

I tried a scotch and soda with the grouse on Saturday and all I could taste was caramel. It was not good at all.

Are you able to taste the caramel when drinking the Grouse neat?

Not nearly as much. I enjoyed it neat, but once I added the soda it really made the caramel flavor jump out. Good thing it tastes alright in a rob roy.

[DavidH]

I tried something tonight that I've been curious about for a long time: whiskey and green tea. Apparently this is the most common way to drink whiskey in China.

I made up the green tea in the usual way (hot water and a bag in a cup) then let it cool. Side-by-side in two glasses, the green tea looks strikingly similar to the whiskey (Jameson) (picture). Actors supposedly drink cold tea instead of whiskey so I guess that is not such a surprise. Perhaps the similarity is the reason it occurred to someone to mix the two.

When combined, the tea doesn't interfere much with the nose or taste of the whiskey. A few cubes of ice (picture) and this turns out to be a very pleasant drink, and a good way to slow the intake of a basic whiskey in a social setting.

[michael Foggarty]

some fresh raspberries, a few sprigs of mint dash of fresh lime juice a measure of bourbon or Irish shaken with cranberry juice. That was a staple of my bar - I had to offer something for the ladies when the husbands were in drinking whiskey !

[hilliamash]

I find it hard if not impossible to mix Scotch in cocktails--I think the good Creator meant for it to be drank the way it was created...or at most with a bit of water and/or ice--depending on your particular tastes and the heat of the day.

On the other hand, rye whiskies mix very well. For those of us with connections to the Big Easy, the Sazarac remains a favorite:

Rye whisky
Dash of Peychoud's bitters
small amount of simple syrup
Pour into Herbsaint seasoned glass

Nice!!

[Pr Tenorsoul]

Love to put some pieces of fresh ginger in my Paddy and let it for at least 2 weeks before drinking it.

[DavidH]

Love to put some pieces of fresh ginger in my Paddy and let it for at least 2 weeks before drinking it.

That sounds like a good idea!

I recall in Swedish bars they had bottles of vodka with various things dissolving in them. I had quite a taste for "Turkish Pepper", a very strongly-flavoured liquorice, that turned the vodka black.

And welcome to the forum!

[IainB]

Love to put some pieces of fresh ginger in my Paddy and let it for at least 2 weeks before drinking it.

Ginger Paddy? Sounds like an Irish joke! Welcome to the forum.

[TreacleSponge]

Ooh, ginger - good idea. I sometimes perk up whiskies with spices too. I've had some Glen Moray on the go for a week with cinnamon and a vanilla pod. I'll probably leave it another couple days before I try it, but I had little sniff and so far so good.

[Wave]

About the only time I mix whisk(e)y with anything is when I sweeten my Pepsi with a generous pour of Canadian Mist!

Cheers!

[martin grant]

Ooh, ginger - good idea. I sometimes perk up whiskies with spices too. I've had some Glen Moray on the go for a week with cinnamon and a vanilla pod. I'll probably leave it another couple days before I try it, but I had little sniff and so far so good.

Good idea T-S. On the odd occassion, I have been known to drink Glen Moray using a cinnamon stick as a straw. People point at me and mutter things, but it tastes delicious

[Newbie]

[quote="DavidH"]I tried something tonight that I've been curious about for a long time: whiskey and green tea. Apparently this is the most common way to drink whiskey in China.
[quote]

Yup its true! Its the chinese version of whisky and coke. In bars they typically use a green tea from a bottle. This is a soft drink rather than freshly brewed tea. The bottled green tea is slightly sweeter than freshly brewed tea and very smooth without any traces of tannins. I thought it would be horrible but its very refreshing after a day in 40'c heat!

[Klas]

I recall in Swedish bars they had bottles of vodka with various things dissolving in them. I had quite a taste for "Turkish Pepper", a very strongly-flavoured liquorice, that turned the vodka black.

DavidH, I have also tried that one.
The liquorice and pepper kind of conceals everything else and I guess that's the idea of it? I don't really think that I would order it again....

The "Turkish Pepper" candy is really good on its own though! Really strong stuff!

[Pr Tenorsoul]

glen moray and cinnamon...I sure have to try!
If you test ginger tell me what you think about...

[orangedogofglory]

had Cutty Sark and Sprite once - would really not recommend it.

have enjoyed crown royal and coke

also tried to make a smooth sailing (http://www.whiskymag.com/cocktails/smooth_sailing.html) but at the time I didn't have bourbon so I used, if I remember correctly, JW Black - I don't remember it turning out so well.

[Willie JJ]

I don't have anything against cocktails. God knows I've drunk every kind of crap associated with alcohol over the years. The problem is that these days I just cannot find anything that I think improves the taste of the raw product. At the recent Auchentoshan launch I tried the cocktails they were handing out, but it just made me even keener to get my hands on the unadulterated drams. If you like mixers in your drinks then I think you are lucky, but I'm afraid it does nothing for me these days.

Cheers

[Pr Tenorsoul]

I tried Aberlour through a cinnamon straw: really nice! thanks!!

[TheShrink]

At Whisky Live last year I was in a masterclass being persuaded that whisky cocktails were A Good Thing because they tasted great and they'd introduce more folk in to SMW drinking. It was lies, all lies. They tasted awful.

I really, really like whisky.

But whisky has it right.

Why mess about with it and meddle? Cocktails? Just say no! I'm a prejudiced, curmugeonly old purist, I know.

[TheShrink]

Ooh, ginger - good idea. I sometimes perk up whiskies with spices too. I've had some Glen Moray on the go for a week with cinnamon and a vanilla pod. I'll probably leave it another couple days before I try it, but I had little sniff and so far so good.

Missy, you're old enough to know better!

I was going to mail you up some decent 24 YO Port Ellen but if this is the sort of maverick carry on you're up to nowadays . . .

[Muskrat Portage]

T'Shrink:
I have to concur with you that SM alone is a thing of glory. To taint it with crushed ice, cocktail shakers, lime juice, green tea , pepsi or (shudder) root beer is anathema.

I barely used to tolerate rum Zombies in my mispent youth. (Okay I hammered them back and enjoyed the effect) but now I can enjoy a fine aged rum in much the same way that I appreciate a Single Malt. Neat, no mix and maybe a bit of water after the first exploratory sip to open the bouquet.

Despite the efforts of the industry to promote cocktails and entice new drinkers into the fold, I, like you, will maintain my standards in relation to my old fogy way of enjoying them. And don't waste good whisky on little missy, bring it into the fold where it will be enjoyed and respected. I've enjoyed the PE 1st release and am ready, willing and able to sample, say..., your 24 yo if called upon to do so.

Musky

[hilliamash]

Nothing wrong with stodgy, Musky! Don't you know that age and trechary always overcomes youth and idealism!

[Muskrat Portage]

Nothing wrong with stodgy, Musky! Don't you know that age and trechary always overcomes youth and idealism!

I live by that credo.
Musky