Relaxing with a whiskey by the fire doesn’t have to mean sipping on a sniffer-full of scotch. We’ve put together a collection of fireside-appropriate whiskey cocktails that’ll have you pulling your recliner closer to the hearth and indulging in the delights of a cozy whiskey cocktail.
Hot Toddy
Ingredients
- 2 oz. whiskey
- 4 oz. hot water, to top
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. honey
- Cinnamon stick, for garnish (optional)
- Ground nutmeg, for garnish (optional)
- Ground cloves, for garnish (optional)
- Star anise, for garnish (optional)
- Lemon peel, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Add whiskey, honey and lemon juice to a mug and stir to combine.
- Top with hot water, and garnish however you see fit.
Bourbon Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1½ oz. bourbon
- ½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Bénédictine D.O.M.
- ¼ oz. Cointreau
- Ice
- Angostura bitters
- Lemon twist, for garnish
Directions
- Place a cocktail glass in the freezer to chill.
- Combine the bourbon, lemon juice, Bénédictine, and Cointreau in a cocktail shaker and fill it halfway with ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosted.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass, top with a dash of bitters, and garnish with the lemon twist.
Gold Rush
Ingredients
- 2 oz. bourbon
- ¾ oz. freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
- ¾ oz. honey syrup (see note)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake until well chilled, about 10 seconds.
- Strain into an ice-filled double old-fashioned glass.
*Note: To make honey syrup, combine 1 cup of water with 1 cup of honey in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until honey is dissolved. Cool before using. The syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Bourbon Cider Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz. of bourbon
- 3 oz. of apple cider
- ½ tsp. of lemon juice
- 2 oz. of ginger ale
- cinnamon stick and apple slice for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Add apple cider, bourbon and lemon juice to a shaker.
- Shake well and pour into a glass.
- Add a large ice cube or a few regular ice cubes.
- Top off with ginger ale.
- Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick (optional)
Bourbonella
Ingredients
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 oz. dry vermouth
- ½ oz. curaçao
- ½ oz. grenadine
Directions
- Shake all ingredients well with ice; then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Maple Bourbon Smash
Ingredients
- 2 oz. bourbon
- ½ oz. pure maple syrup (Grade A Dark Amber)
- ½ oz. orange juice
- ¼ oz. lemon juice
- 4 dashes of Angostura bitters
- ½ orange wheel
- 1½ oz. chilled seltzer
- Ice
- Orange slice to garnish
Directions
- In a rocks glass, combine maple syrup with the orange juice, lemon juice and bitters.
- Add the orange wheel and lightly muddle. Add the bourbon and stir well.
- Fill the glass with ice and top with the chilled seltzer.
