15 Classic Whisky Cocktails That Work With Many Whisky Styles

Everyone who enjoys whisky likely knows how to make a proper Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sour, and other classic whisky cocktails. For one, they've stood the test of time—whereas the latest trendy drink is often only popular because it looks cool on Instagram, classics have been perfected, so you know they taste good. For another, most are easy to make yet impressive to serve to guests.

At the same time, you can respect the classics while letting them serve as a starting point. The majority of contemporary cocktails are variations on these standards, and experimentation can lead to delicious results.

An easy place to start is by switching up the whisky you use as the base. “Swapping in different whisky styles lets you explore how [a whisky’s] grain, distillation, and aging change a cocktail’s whole character,” says Jason Hedges, director of beverage for LT Hospitality. “Just like jazz musicians state the basic theme before launching into an improvisation, cocktail making starts with mastering the fundamentals. Once you know the classic structure, you can start riffing with different spirits to explore new flavors while still honoring the classic.”

We spoke to 12 bartenders to get their suggestions for alternative style whiskies to create your personal version of these 15 classic whisky cocktails. The next time you want something fruitier, spicier, lighter, more complex, or anything else different from the standard, refer to this guide.

Blood and Sand

Classic Recipe

• 3/4 oz. blended scotch
• 3/4 oz. red sweet vermouth
• 3/4 oz. Heering cherry liqueur
• 3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
• Orange peel for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake for 8 to 12 seconds, then double-strain with a fine strainer into a coupe. Garnish with orange peel.

Swap in These Whiskies

“A whiskey with a high-rye mashbill—like Angel’s Envy rye—will shine in a Blood and Sand,” says Ian Torres, resident mixologist at the Biltmore Hotel Miami-Coral Gables. “It cuts through the sweetness of the drink, bringing balance.” For a similar effect, try a high-proof high-rye bourbon like Old Pepper bottled in bond.

Bobby Burns

Classic Recipe

• 1 1/2 oz. blended scotch
• 1 1/2 oz. Carpano Antica Formula (or other red sweet vermouth)
• 1-2 dash Angostura bitters
• 1-2 dashes orange bitters
• 1/4 oz. Benedictine
• Lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a coupe. Garnish with lemon wheel and mint sprig.

Swap in These Whiskies

If you love spice—and don’t mind the price—Torres recommends using WhistlePig 12 year old rye, though he likes the classic Manhattan 2:1 ratio of whisky to vermouth. Prefer something floral and aromatic? Use Kikori rice whisky and, if possible, white sweet vermouth for added depth.

Boulevardier

Classic Recipe

• 1 1/2 oz. 100-proof bourbon
• 3/4 oz. Italian vermouth
• 3/4 oz. Campari
• Orange twist or banana leaf for garnish

Add all ingredients to a stirring glass. Add ice and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a double Old Fashioned glass over a large cube. Garnish with orange twist or banana leaf on inside rim.

Swap in These Whiskies

A Boulevardier requires robust whisky to hold up to the vermouth and bitters, says Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director of Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California. “Hakushu 12 year old is just the right amount of strength, elegance, and peat to do the trick here,” he says. Or, if you can afford it and like a spirit-forward cocktail, Westward Whiskey Cask Strength American single malt shines.

Irish Coffee

Classic Recipe

• 1 1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1/4 oz. rich demerara syrup (recipe below)
• 4 oz. hot coffee
• Fresh whipped cream and optional fresh nutmeg for garnish

Preheat an Irish Coffee mug by rinsing with hot water. Add demerara syrup, whiskey, and hot coffee. Stir once or twice to incorporate. Top with whipped cream by pouring it over the back of a barspoon. If desired, grate nutmeg over top.

Demerara Syrup

• 1 cup demerara sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for three to five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then strain into an airtight container. Keep refrigerated up to 6 months.

Swap in These Whiskies

If you prefer a lighter drink, swap in Hibiki Japanese Harmony, which lends accenting gentle sweetness and fruit notes without overpowering the coffee, says Corey Hollinger, bartender at Serliana at InterContinental Indianapolis. For extra sweetness and vanilla without turning this into a sugar bomb, use Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon.

Manhattan

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. rye
• 1 oz. Carpano Antica Formula (or other sweet vermouth)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Preserved cherry on a pick for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for about 50 revolutions. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with cherry.

Swap in These Whiskies

Create a lush, full-bodied cocktail without bitterness with Jacob’s Pardon 18 year old Recipe no. 3 light whiskey, Hedges says. If you love chocolate, swap in malty Stranahan’s Blue Peak American single malt. And for a sweet, creamy Manhattan, Hedges recommends the high-corn Old Elk blended straight bourbon.

Mint Julep

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 10-15 mint leaves
• 1/4 oz. rich turbinado syrup
• Mint sprig and powdered sugar for garnish

In a Julep cup, lightly muddle mint leaves and syrup. Add bourbon and stir briefly to incorporate. Add crushed ice to fill 2/3 of the way, then stir 10 times, ensuring the mint remains at the bottom. Add more ice until you have created a mound, add straw, garnish with mint sprig, and dust with powdered sugar.

Swap in These Whiskies

“Bring a bold kick of baking spice and dried fruit that cuts through the mint and sugar beautifully by using Knob Creek rye,” suggests David Brookins, bartender at Houston's Bayou & Bottle. “Alternatively, Clermont Steep American single malt offers a malty richness combined with stone fruit and a gentle smokiness. It adds texture and a roasted, almost chocolaty, depth."

Old Fashioned

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 1 sugar cube
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel for garnish

In a rocks glass, muddle sugar and bitters into a paste. Add bourbon and one large cube. Stir for about 20 seconds, then garnish with expressed orange peel.

Swap in These Whiskies

Love a peppery kick? Use Old Overholt rye. Or make it the perfect fall drink by swapping in Laird’s Applejack, says Alex Mirzaian, food and beverage manager at Hotel Per La in Los Angeles.

Paper Plane

Classic Recipe

• 3/4 oz. bourbon
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. Amaro Nonino
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
• Lemon wheel for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin, add ice, and shake aggressively for 10 seconds. Fine strain into a coupe and garnish with lemon wheel.

Swap in These Whiskies

Use Compass Box Orchard House scotch blended malt for a lighter, brighter Paper Plane that highlights the complexity of the amaro, or go bold with Still Austin Cask Strength rye. “The whiskey has big grilled peaches and gingerbread cookie vibes with a spicy finish. It stands up to all the other ingredients, making it the star of the show,” says Josh Alden, bartender at Bandista in Houston.

Penicillin

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. blended scotch
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. honey-ginger syrup (recipe below)
• 1/4 oz. Ardbeg An Oa (or other peated scotch)
• Candied ginger or lemon twist for garnish

Add blended scotch, lemon juice, and honey-ginger syrup to a shaker tin with ice and hard shake about 10 to 12 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over one large cube. Float peated scotch on top, and garnish with candied ginger or lemon twist.

Honey-Ginger Syrup

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 heaping cup thinly sliced ginger

Combine all ingredients in a pot over medium heat. Once simmering, turn heat to low and continue simmering for about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain into an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for 10 to 14 days.

Swap in These Whiskies

If you want a Penicillin with a more honeyed, slightly spicier base that still allows the citrus and ginger to shine, Jayden Mohun, beverage director of Peck Slip Social in New York City, recommends Nearest Green Tennessee whiskey. For something softer and rounder, W.L. Weller Special Reserve “gives a lush, almost dessert-y vibe without getting heavy,” he says.

Rob Roy

Classic Recipe

• 2 1/2 oz. blended scotch
• 1 oz. Dolin Rouge Vermouth (or other sweet vermouth)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir for about 50 revolutions. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon twist.

Swap in These Whiskies

Bring bold, nutty depth to your Rob Boy with Balcones Texas single malt, Hedges says. Like your whisky smoky? Mars Iwai Tradition offers deep complexity and subtle peat that won’t overpower the drink, he says.

Rusty Nail

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. blended scotch
• 1 oz. Drambuie
• Lemon twist for garnish

Combine whisky and Drambuie in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 20 to 25 seconds until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice, and garnish with lemon twist.

Swap in These Whiskies

Make your Rusty Nail more complex with a slightly smoky, nutty edge by using Rod & Hammer's Cask bourbon, suggests Alberto Battaglini, owner and barman at Pony Cocktails and Kitchen in Santa Ynez, California. Fans of fruit-forward drinks will appreciate Redbreast 12 year old single pot still Irish whiskey’s orchard fruit notes, while those looking to balance Drambuie’s spice should try W. L. Weller Special Reserve bourbon, which brings out toffee and vanilla notes, he adds.

Sazerac

Classic Recipe

• 2 1/2 oz. bottled in bond rye
• 1/4 oz. rich demerara syrup (recipe below)
• 5 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
• Absinthe to rinse
• Lemon peel for garnish

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe. Add rye, demerara syrup, and bitters to a shaker tin and fill with ice. Stir for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into prepared glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Rich Demerara Syrup

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup demerara sugar

Combine water and sugar in a pot over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until fully incorporated, about three to 10 minutes. Don’t reduce the syrup down; instead, remove from heat when sugar and water incorporate. Let cool to room temperature before using. Keep refrigerated for up to a week.

Swap in These Whiskies

Turn your Sazerac into an after-dinner nightcap by using Sierra Norte Single Barrel White Corn Mexican whisky and chocolate, suggests Brian Gravelle, bartender at Juniper and Ivy in San Diego. Or turn down the spice and make a lighter cocktail with Nikka Coffey grain whisky.

Vieux Carre

Classic Recipe

• 1 oz. rye
• 1 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Benedictine
• 2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Cherries on a pick for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 25 to 30 seconds until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube, and garnish with cherries.

Swap in These Whiskies

Can't get enough spice? Amp it up with bold, peppery with Lot No. 40 Canadian rye, Battaglini says. Prefer a smoother Vieux Carre? Swap in Nikka From the Barrel. And for something unexpected but beautifully balanced, Benromach 10 year old scotch single malt “adds touch of smoke and dried fruit, creating a sultry twist,” Battaglini says.

Whiskey Smash

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. bourbon
• 6–8 fresh mint leaves
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• Fresh mint sprig for garnish

In a shaker, gently muddle mint leaves with lemon juice and simple syrup. Add bourbon and ice, and shake vigorously for 10 to 12 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig.

Swap in These Whiskies

Add depth and warmth with Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean Cask scotch single malt. “The rich, dessert-like profile almost turns the cocktail into a cross between a Julep and a citrusy Old Fashioned,” says Matthew Weithorn, food and beverage operation manager, at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach. Or go the opposite direction and make it a crisp, refreshing, almost iced tea-like variation by using Suntory Toki, he suggests.

Whiskey Sour

Classic Recipe

• 2 oz. rye
• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• 2 Luxardo maraschino cherries and orange twist on a pick for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for 6 seconds. Add ice and shake for another 10 seconds. Strain into a coupe or double Old Fashioned and garnish with picked cherries and orange twist.

Swap in These Whiskies

Cut back on the spice with Crown Royal, which makes a silky smooth, balanced Sour, or Maker's Mark, which adds sweet caramel notes, says Jim McCourt, beverage director at Prohibition in Charleston.