Three Unusual Whisky Cocktails you can Make at Home!

Whisky cocktails are a great way of enjoying a dram or two if you’re looking to savour your whisky! Sure, we love ourselves a whisky flight - but if you’re hosting a party, a cocktail could help you to savour the experience and cater to everyone’s tastes! That being said, we wanted to look outside the mainstream old fashioned’s and manhattans - and have created a cocktail menu that will entice even the biggest whisky sceptics!

Maple Bourbon Smash

An interesting alternative to the classic old fashioned, the maple bourbon smash is made with 50ml (2 drams) of bourbon, 15-25ml of maple syrup (depending on how sweet your tooth is!), and 25ml of orange juice. Mix this together, throw in some angostura bitters if you so please, and enjoy! The maple syrup compliments the rich caramel flavours found in most bourbons, elevating the drink into something sweet, refreshing and delicious. Serve with orange peel and a maraschino cherry if you’re aiming to impress!

Yuzu Whiskey Sour

Let’s open with a fun fact - the whisky sour was invented by sailors who were at risk of scurvy on long sea voyages. In their health conscious efforts, they mixed lemons and limes with whisky and rum for a nutritious drink that stopped scurvy in its tracks. Its efficacy can be debated, but they introduced a classic cocktail into the world either way.

And you might not own any yuzu syrup yet, but this Japanese inspired whisky sour is a brilliant excuse to add it to your shelf. Following a ratio of 2:1:1, the ingredients are 50ml of Japanese whisky (We love the classic Nikka From the Barrel!), 25ml of Yuzu syrup, and 25ml of egg white to impart that silky texture! Throw in a splash of lemon juice to sharpen the yuzu’s natural flavours and you’ve got yourself a cocktail that mixes American tradition and Japanese innovation perfectly! Just don’t come to us if it fails to fight off your bad diet.

Blood and Sand

Despite a vicious name that suggests something from Lawrence of Arabia, the blood and sand is actually a fruity but powerful drink that lets you savour your scotch without over-sweetening it.

It consists of equal parts Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth, and cherry brandy liqueur. The most commonly available cherry liqueur is the De Kuyper, but we recommend the Giffard for a bar quality drink! Almost like a whisky Negroni, the powerful, earthy flavourings of the whisky and brandy play nicely with the sweetness of the cherry and vermouth, resulting in a drink that brings out a complex flavour profile that has to be tasted to be believed!

Hopefully we’ve given you the tools to impress your friends and family, whether they be lovers of Espresso Martini’s or the most discerning of Scotch enthusiasts who refuse to drink from anything but a tasting glass! And if you’re looking to buy any ingredients, please feel free to check out Master of Malt’s massive collection using the link below! (We may earn a commission if you do).