Straight-up, it can be all too easy to order straight off the cocktail menu and fall into a little rut with your drink of choice. Never venturing further than the drink that you’re used to - and never really knowing what to order or how to impress your first (or second) date with your vast cocktail knowledge - isn’t super fun, TBH.
But as depressing as that sounds, don’t worry. Your drink choices don't have to be forever limited by what you read, or even by what you know. In fact, there's a whole, big world of tasty cocktails out there - and it's a world that consists of a lot more than just vodka crans and rum and Cokes!
So if you want to impress your date and be on trend with the latest whisky craze taking the city by storm, these cocktails - created by master mixologist and bourbon specialist, Matt Jones, who travels across Canada preaching the gospel of whisky and spreading his love of whisky - will totally make you sound like a connoisseur. And thanks to the recipes we’ve listed, you’ll even know what type of whisky goes best in each cocktail, so you can even try these out at home!
Oh, and a protip? The quality of the liquid is what makes the drink. So make sure you're using top notch whisky in your cocktails. Trust us, your stomachs will THANK you for it later!
Maker's Mark® Boulevardier
This kind of bourbon is wheated (FYI, that means there's no rye flavour). Which makes this full-bodied bourbon softer, lighter and smoother on the palate than others. Plus its vanilla, oak, toffee, and caramel notes make it the perfect base for a delicious, bittersweet Boulevardier cocktail.
Recipe:
- 1 1/4 oz Maker’s Mark
- ¾ oz Campari
- ¾ oz sweet vermouth
- Stir over ice and serve as you would a Manhattan
- Optional: garnish with an orange peel
Knob Creek® Old Fashioned
Sure, you might have noticed that Old Fashioned drinks are becoming more and more popular. Still, this might not be the most popular drink just yet, which is a crying shame because they're DELICIOUS.
And made all the much better by using Knob Creek Bourbon. This small batch bourbon is specially made for a balanced, full-bodied flavour, with notes of vanilla, rich caramel, dried fruits and stone fruit. All this makes for one awesome sipping whisky, and one that's also great in cocktails.
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz Knob Creek
- ½ oz maple simple syrup (half maple syrup half water 1:1)
- 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters like Angostura and lemon peel, pinched to express oils
- Stir all ingredients briskly with ice for 10 seconds in an Old Fashioned/rocks glass
- Enjoy!
Auchentoshan 12® Auchentoshan & Ale
This simple, original cocktail is the perfect way to BLOW your friends away with your mixology skills.
It relies on Auchentoshan 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky, with hints of crème brûlée, ginger and tangerine, for an unbeatable flavour. Plus, this super-unique tasting whiskey is triple distilled, which creates an incredibly smooth flavour not typical of scotch.
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz Auchentoshan 12 Year
- 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters, lemon, orange, or grapefruit peel
- Add all the ingredients to a highball glass, a few ice cubes, and top with Ale!
Jim Beam Black® Black Sails
Fun fact: did you know that Jim Beam has been the #1 best selling whisky around the world since 1935? And that Jim Beam Black was rated the top bourbon in the world by the IWSC in 2016? Yup, it was, and if you've ever sipped this bourbon, with a deep, rich toffee, caramel and warm oak spice flavour profile - then you know exactly why!
While this bourbon is meant to be sipped and savoured, it's also awesome in cocktails, and gives an original twist to any drink. In particular, though, it's great in a Black Sails cocktail!
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz Jim Beam Black
- ½ Averna Amaro
- 1-2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters, lemon peel with the oils expressed into glass
- Stir as you would a Manhattan, and enjoy!
Jim Beam Double Oak® Bourbontucky Sour
Literally, if you've never had a Bourbontucky Sour... well, prepare to be amazed! This cocktail features Jim Beam Double Oak.
This newer type of bourbon is double barrelled, making it mature even more, and giving it an intense oak spiciness, and an even richer caramel and sweeter vanilla flavour. Oh, and this is exactly what gives the Bourbontucky Sour its signature, unique taste!
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz Jim Beam Double Oak
- 1 oz fresh lemonade (1:1:1 fresh lemon juice : sugar : water)
- ½ oz egg white
- Shake vigorously with ice to enhance frothy foam, strain finely into a chilled cocktail glass
- Optional: 3 dashes aromatic bitters on top.
Knob Creek Rye® Manhattan
Ah, the Manhattan. Although the basic version of this cocktail might be a little standard... well, once you try it with the twist of Knob Creek Rye, a rye whisky, you'll see just how different and awesome it truly is.
Rye whiskies actually predate bourbon and Canadian whiskies when it comes to commercial production, and date all the way back to before the USA's Revolutionary War. So you can guess that there are strict standards in place for this spirit (like, for example, every single batch must contain 51% rye grain), all of which Knob Creek Rye more than meets. And with hints of oak, rye, and spice, this adds a delightful flavour complexity to a Manhattan!
Recipe:
- 1.5 oz Knob Creek Rye
- ¾ oz sweet vermouth
- 2-3 dashes aromatic bitters (lemon peel garnish with oils expressed in glass ideal, however orange and grapefruit peel work well as well)
- Often garnished with a whisky steeped sour cherry
Although all of these cocktails are a little bit different in their own, unique ways, they all have one thing in common: they use only the best whisky, scotch and bourbon! Which means not only are these insanely easy to make, but they're also insanely easy to enjoy, too!
So, for those who want to try something new and delicious - or just want to try their hand at creating a fantastic drink - don't worry. Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Maker's Mark and Auchentoshan 12 have all got your back.
