23 Whiskey Cocktails to Warm You Up and Chill You Out
![Two Whiskey Sour cocktails in rocks glasses with maraschino cherries and orange slices](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.bonappetit.com/photos/63a4b2aba1a7b40ea0bebd03/16:9/w_320%2Cc_limit/WhiskeySour.jpeg)
There’s no stand-in for a good whiskey cocktail. When you want a drink with authority but also warmth—whether it’s a classic cocktail such as an old-fashioned or Manhattan or a refreshing highball with soda water or ginger beer—you turn to whiskey. Nothing compares to the gravity this spirit brings to a drink (or, let’s be honest, to life).
Whiskey is made all over the world—the UK exports the most whiskey by far, but Japanese products have been gaining popularity over the last decade or so—and there are many classes and varieties. Generally speaking, it’s a type of liquor made from fermented grain mash and typically aged in wooden casks. We could go on, but that would take a book, really, and you came here for a drink. So, without further ado, here are our best whiskey cocktails for your sipping pleasure.
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- Photographs by Yudi Ela, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio1/23
Amaro Cocktail
Traditionally, orgeat is an almond syrup; to give this whiskey cocktail some southern flair, we made one with pecans. What better way to finish off this minimalist presentation, then, than with a pecan garnish?
- Heidi's Bridge2/23
BA's Best Old-Fashioned
A good old-fashioned cocktail recipe is concerned with three things: simplicity, ingredients, and technique. Speaking of simplicity, you don’t even need a mixing glass to make this rye whiskey drink; just stir it right in your rocks glass. Two bits of advice: Use a single large ice cube to keep the drink from getting too diluted, and opt for the good maraschino cherries—you won’t regret it.
- Alex Lau3/23
Espresso Old Fashioned
This is one of the best cocktail recipes to make if you’ve got both drinkers and non-drinkers coming over: The formula works just as well with the booze as it does without it.
- 4/23
Boulevardier
The boulevardier, which many consider one of the best whiskey cocktails in existence, is multicultural. The drink sounds French, contains an Italian ingredient, and was created by an American. It’s also related to the negroni: they both include Campari and sweet vermouth, but where the negroni uses gin, the boulevardier is all bourbon, baby. A lemon twist is the typical garnish, but a flamed orange peel would also do well.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski5/23
Cold Toddy
Blake from Fort Worth, Texas, has this to say about our not hot toddy: “It was 85° on Christmas Eve this year, so I went searching for a cold holiday drink and found exactly what I was looking for with this Cold Toddy. It was a huge hit and has already been requested for next Christmas.”
- Alex Lau6/23
Happy New Year, Honey
...and just a couple weeks later, you can make this sparkly bourbon cocktail, which contains a cardamom- and cinnamon-spiced honey syrup, hard cider, brandy, and apple slices.
- Photograph by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Christina Allen7/23
Paper Plane
This equal-parts cocktail is bright from lemon, bittersweet from Aperol, aromatic and nutty from amaro, and grounded by bourbon.
- Photo by Paul H. Christian, food styling by Michele Figliuolo8/23
Whiskey Sour
You’ll need a cocktail shaker for this one, and boy, do we have opinions about those. There are a number of makes and models, but we recommend a two-piece metal Boston shaker. Learning how to successfully fit together and separate the two tins takes practice, but this version is unbreakable (compared to the tin-on-glass Boston) and simple (two pieces compared to the Cobbler’s three).
- Alex Lau9/23
Citrus–Irish Whiskey Punch
Fresh lemon juice and orange juice brighten this punch comprising black tea and Irish whiskey. What makes Irish whiskey Irish whiskey? It mainly has to do with the grain (barley versus corn, rye, or wheat) and the fact that it’s distilled and aged in Ireland. The result is a smooth, inviting spirit that appeals to both bourbon fans and scotch whisky aficionados.
- Peden & Munk10/23
Sazerac
This potent New Orleans nightcap, presented in a brandy snifter, is as much about the aromatic absinthe rinse as it is the VSOP Cognac and rye whiskey.
- 11/23
Sage Brown Derby
Grapefruit cocktails are good year-round, but the rye and sage make this one especially wintry. Rye, a grass related to barley and wheat, has far fewer sugars than corn—the main reason for the marked difference in flavor between rye whiskey and bourbon.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura12/23
Hot Penicillin
Two types of scotch and a honey-ginger syrup combine to make this warming elixir the most comforting whiskey drink of all time.
- Peden + Munk13/23
Rye and Pomegranate Punch
If you buy Luxardo Maraschino liqueur for this whiskey cocktail, feel free to use it in other drink recipes, subbing it in for brandy or other fruit liqueurs, for a new take on an old favorite.
- Matt Duckor14/23
Pour Over Irish Coffee
Out of our six recipes for refreshed, modernized approaches to the classic Irish coffee, this might be our favorite. One ingredient, Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters, takes it to the next level.
- 15/23
The New York Sour
A more classic whiskey sour calls for an egg white and most certainly does not involve fruity red wine, but who says bucking tradition can’t be delicious?
- Ted Cavanaugh16/23
The Rattlesnake
The double-shake method you’ll find in this drink recipe is key. The first round breaks up the egg white; the second chills the cocktail and gives it its frothy cap.
- 17/23
Classic Whiskey Smash
This drink calls for crushed ice, which you don’t need a fancy machine to get. Allow us to sell you on the Lewis bag.
- Alex Lau18/23
Hard Cider Spritz
This couldn’t be simpler: Pour 4 ounces hard cider, 1½ ounces apple cider, ½ ounce rye whiskey, ¼ ounce Aperol, and ¼ ounce lemon juice into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda.
- Annabel Mehran19/23
Backwoods Bourbon Punch
You could make your own grenadine for this whiskey cocktail—there’s a pretty straightforward method in this grown-up Shirley Temple, a bonus whiskey drink recipe—or you could buy one from Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.
- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott20/23
Hot Toddy Pick-Me-Up
This hot toddy is not simply a mixture of hot water, whiskey, lemon juice, and honey (or maple syrup). This one plays up the herbal and spicy notes with black tea, cognac, and Bénédictine liqueur. So does our Amaro Hot Toddy, made with Averna. Think less is more? Go for a plain old hot whiskey.
- Peden + Munk21/23
Orange Mint Julep
The mint julep, the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, is probably the most famous American-born bourbon cocktail. This riff uses orange syrup instead of straight brown sugar and orange bitters for a rounded citrus flavor.
- Ture Lillegraven22/23
Whirl-Y-Gig
This sipper gives us an excuse to talk about Angostura bitters. Created by a doctor in the early 1800s—yes, as a medicine—the pungent, spiced cocktail seasoning is now the most famous and most used bitters in the world.
- Laura Murray23/23
Cowboy Shandy
This whiskey cocktail is for hot summer days, with its refreshing blend of booze, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and chilled lager. Remove the lemon peel before squeezing to use as your cocktail garnish.