Going Bananas With Whisky Cocktails

Ask someone what fruit they associate with whisky, and chances are their answer will be a dried, citrus, or stone fruit. After all, they are common tasting notes and cocktail garnishes. But the humble banana surely deserves a shout-out.

“While they may seem an unlikely combo, whisky and banana present similar flavor components and, as a result, go well together,” explains Wil Schultz, bar manager of Oak Steakhouse in Nashville. That hint of banana you may detect in a bourbon or Irish whiskey? That’s isoamyl acetate, an oily liquid that naturally forms during the fermentation process and tastes like the fruit.

Adding a banana syrup or liqueur to your cocktail can easily bring this subtle flavor to the forefront, says Colin Bugbee, bartender at Cure in New Orleans. And since the fruit’s sweetness can balance out bold or smoky whiskies, don’t be afraid to go bananas.

Butter + Banter

Created by Brittany McMillan, general manager, The Dead Rabbit, Austin

“The fat-wash process enhances the whisky’s malty flavors, and the addition of lemon and egg white complements and brightens these flavors, making it the perfect summer sipper,” McMillan says.

• ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz. Monin honey syrup
• ¼ oz. Amaro Nonino
• 1½ oz. banana butter fat-washed scotch (recipe below)
• Egg white

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for 10 seconds. Fill tin with ice and shake for about 15 more seconds. Double strain into a coupe.

Banana Butter Fat-Washed Scotch

• 1⁄3 vanilla bean, minced
• ¼ tsp. virgin coconut oil
• ½ stick salted butter
• 1 ripe banana, chopped
• 6 oz. Dewar’s 12 year old (or other blended scotch)

Combine vanilla, oil, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter foams, about 30 minutes. Add banana and cook until fruit begins to darken in color and becomes fragrant, about 20 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to prevent butter from burning. Remove from heat and let macerate 1 hour. Warm over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes to liquefy fat, then fine-strain into a clean, wide-mouthed container. Add scotch and refrigerate 36 hours, stirring occasionally. Filter through a paper coffee filter to remove solids and strain into original whisky bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.

Caramel Banana Sour

Created by Rubén Alejandro Mireles Balderas, bartender, Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort, Cancun, Mexico

This elegant, velvety drink “unveils the warmth of whisky, elevated by the sweet and spiced notes of caramel and cinnamon,” Balderas says.

• 1½ oz. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 (or other Tennessee whiskey)
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz. egg white
• 2 oz. caramelized banana syrup (recipe below)
• Ground cinnamon, banana, and cinnamon stick for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for 15 to 20 seconds. Add ice and shake for another 15 to 20 seconds. Use extra caramelized banana syrup and a small brush to create a decorative vertical stripe inside a highball glass. Sprinkle ground cinnamon over top and shake out excess. Strain drink into the glass and garnish with banana slice on cinnamon stick.

Caramelized Banana Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups ripe plantain, chopped
• 7 oz. water
• ½ barspoon ground cinnamon

Add sugar and plantain to a saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar caramelizes and absorbs the banana flavor, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth and fully combined, about 20 to 30 seconds. Strain through a fine sieve into an airtight container. Keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

The Rebel County

Created by Wil Schultz, bar manager, Oak Steakhouse, Nashville

“The layered flavors in this playful cocktail play well together, creating a balanced drink that’s much stronger than you’d expect it to be,” Schultz warns.

• ¾ oz. banana-infused Irish whiskey (recipe below)
• ¾ oz. Bénédictine
• ¾ oz. Yellow chartreuse
• ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
• Lemon peel for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice and shake for 30 to 45 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with lemon peel.

Banana-Infused Irish Whiskey

• ½ banana, sliced
• 350 ml Jameson (or other blended Irish whiskey)

Combine banana and whiskey in a quart container and refrigerate overnight. Fine-strain the infused whiskey into a sealable glass container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

The Kurgan

Created by Justin Fox, beverage director, Rhein Haus, Seattle

This tiki-style drink is refreshing and tart, with hues of a summer sunrise.

• 1½ oz. Glenlivet Caribbean Reserve (or other blended scotch)
• ½ oz. Pairidaeza Crème de Banane
• ½ oz. Golden honey turmeric syrup (recipe below)
• ½ oz. lemon juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Mint sprig and butterscotch candy stick for garnish

Add all ingredients except bitters to a shaker tin with crushed ice. Shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass and add bitters. Pack glass with crushed ice and garnish with mint and butterscotch.

Golden Honey Turmeric Syrup

• 3 oz. clover honey
• 1½ oz. hot water
• 3 oz. Monin Golden turmeric syrup

Combine honey and hot water in a mixing glass, stirring until homogenized, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add turmeric syrup and stir again until well combined, about 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

This Time Tomorrow No. 2

Created by Colin Bugbee, bartender, Cure, New Orleans

“This refreshing, silky Whiskey Sour has hints of lemongrass, chai spice, and some pretty loud banana notes,” Bugbee says.

• 1½ oz. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 (or other Tennessee whiskey)
• ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
• ½ oz. Boomsma Claerkampster Cloosterbitter
• ½ oz. Tempus Fugit Spirits Crème de Banane
• 1 tsp. demerara syrup
• ½ oz. egg white
• 10 drops chai tincture (recipe below)
• 10 drops Bittercube Chipotle Cacao bitters
• Dehydrated lemon wheel for garnish

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin and dry shake for 5 seconds. Add ice and vigorously shake for 3 to 5 seconds. Strain over one large cube in a double Old Fashioned glass and garnish with dehydrated lemon wheel and 4 additional drops each of chai tincture and cacao bitters.

Chai Tincture

• 1 chai tea bag
• 4 oz. Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still (or other gold rum)

Steep teabag in rum for 1 hour. Remove teabag and transfer rum to an airtight container. Will keep at room temp for 1 year.