The Old Fashioned is wonderful, but whiskey has more to offer. Here are four classics worth learning, from the bright and sour to the dark and stirred.
Whiskey Sour: bright and balanced
About 60 ml bourbon, 25 ml fresh lemon juice and 15 to 20 ml sugar syrup. Shake hard with ice, strain over fresh ice. An optional egg white makes it silky.
Manhattan: dark and elegant
About 60 ml rye or bourbon, 30 ml sweet vermouth and two dashes of bitters, stirred with ice and strained into a chilled coupe, with a cherry. It is a drink for slow evenings.
Mint Julep: cool and herbal
Bourbon, a little sugar and fresh mint, pressed gently, then served over lots of crushed ice. It is refreshing on a hot day and very much a Kentucky classic.
Penicillin: smoky and warming
A modern classic created in New York in the 2000s. Blended Scotch, lemon juice and a honey and ginger syrup, finished with a small float of a smoky whisky on top. It tastes like a cozy cure.
Two small tips
- Use fresh citrus and good ice. They matter more than an expensive bottle.
- Taste as you go and adjust: a little more syrup if it is sharp, a little more lemon if it is sweet.
As always, enjoy slowly and responsibly. Tell the Tipsy Juniper guide what you have at home and it will pick one.
