Whiskey is one of the easiest spirits to serve—just pour it in a glass and tilt it into your face. But if you want to go one tiny step further (and take one giant leap for your taste buds), mix up a simple whiskey cocktail. Here, the best whiskey drinks that are almost as easy to prepare as a bourbon, neat.
You can make a highball with any spirit by topping it with soda and giving it a good stir, but the Whiskey Highball has a particularly rabid fan club—especially in Japan. Any whiskey works, from scotch-like Japanese whisky to sweet and mellow bourbon.
The Essentials
whiskey
club soda
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An Irish Car Bomb is a celebration of the here and now. It’s ready in about one second, requires no mixing, and it’s meant to be chugged immediately after dropping shot into beer. Plus, it produces a delightful splash. Worry about the mess later—you’ve got another round to (easily) prepare.
The Essentials
Irish Whiskey
Irish Cream
Guinness
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A smash may be slightly more complicated than some of the other effortless cocktails on this list, but its basic structure serves as the basis for a litany of whiskey cocktails. Spirit, citrus, sugar and muddled herb combine fundamentally, offering a drink that’s at once sweet, sour and minty.
The Essentials
Rye
lemon juice
mint
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This speedy drink was supposedly popularized on the set of its namesake movie by Marlon Brando himself, who would stir Scotch whisky with Amaretto to temper the spirit’s strength and the liqueur’s sweet punch. With just two ingredients, it’s easy to pack the essentials when you’re going to the mattresses.
The Essentials
Scotch
Amaretto
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Essentially a variation on a neat glass of scotch, this cocktail mixes the smoky spirit with a familial liqueur—scotch-based Drambuie—and a lemon twist. It’s perfect after a long day working in the construction yard or at your desk.
The Essentials
blended scotch
Drambuie
lemon twist
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