11 easy to make whisky cocktail recipes to try at home

As the UK lockdown is set to continue, many of us are getting creative at home with cooking and making our own cocktails.

Published 17th Apr 2020
Updated 9 th Aug 2023

Since it is almost the weekend, and none of us can head to the pub, we have shared these easy-to-make whisky cocktail recipes - ideal for those getting creative at home.

From a twist on a classic whisky sour and a cold hot toddy, to using some store cupboard ingredients, there’s something for all tastes in these whisky cocktail recipes.

Vanilla Highball

whisky cocktail

Picture: The Gate

Owner of Glasgow bar, The Gate, Andy Gemmell says: "For some easy whisky cocktails to try at home then look no further than a simple style of a cocktail called The Highball.

"This long and refreshing serve is the hottest thing in the whisky industry at the moment, and also the simplest to create at home. Essentially a classic whisky highball is just whisky and soda water but I have given you a few twists to try at home."

Ingredients

25ml blended whisky

Cream soda

Ice

Orange slice for garnish

Method

Add cubed ice into a tall glass.

Add 1 measure Whyte & MacKay or any blended whisky.

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Stir for 5 secs and add more ice if needed.

Top with cream soda.

Finish with an orange slice.

Downtown Glenfiddich Sour

whisky cocktails

Picture: Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich brand ambassador, Christiano Protti, says: "served in downtown São Paulo there comes one of the best whisky cocktails in the Americas. A development of the original whisky sour, see how they enjoy it in the bars and clubs of Brazil’s biggest city."

Ingredients

50ml Glenfiddich 12 Year Old

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The white of an egg

20ml sugar syrup

20ml lime juice

Angostura bitters

Method

Add the Glenfiddich, egg white, sugar syrup and lime juice into a cocktail shaker.

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Add the ice and shake generously.

Pour the mixture into a martini glass.

Spray Angostura bitters over the cocktail and serve.

The Macallan Sherry Copa

Picture: Macallan

Ingredients

40ml The Macallan Sherry Oak 12

20ml Oloroso sherry

Splash of tonic water

Method

Fill a glass two thirds with ice.

Pour in the ingredients in the order listed and stir.

Add the lemon wheel to garnish.

Glen Moray fired oak old fashioned

Ingredients

50ml Glen Moray fired oak

Few dashes of Angostura bitters

1 bar spoon maple syrup

Cherry and orange peel for garnish

Method

Put the spoon of maple syrup to a glass.

Add a few dashed of bitters.

Place a large piece of ice in the glass and stir.

Pour in the Glen Moray.

Keep adding ice and stirring.

Garnish with a cherry and slice of orange.

The Old Pulteney Silver and Gold Sour

whisky cocktails

Picture: Old Pulteney

Ingredients

50ml Old Pulteney 12 Years Old

10ml apricot liqueur

15ml fresh grapefruit juice

15ml lemon juice

5ml sugar syrup

15ml egg white (optional)

Grapefruit twist

Method

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

Shake well and fine strain into a cocktail or coupe glass, then garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Laphroaig Smoky Spicy

Picture: Laphroaig

Ingredients

25ml Laphroaig 10

10ml Honey water

10ml Lemon juice

Ginger beer

Method

Pour all measured ingredients into a highball.

Fill with ice and lengthen with ginger beer.

Garnish with a lemon wedge.

Apple Dog

Picture: Glasgow Cocktail Week

Co-founder of Glasgow Cocktail Week, Nicola Moir said: "One of our most popular drinks during the Glasgow Cocktail Week festival last year was our fresh Apple Dog from our Cocktail World popup. Easy to make at home and perfect to enjoy in the garden."

Ingredients

40ml Copper Dog whisky

Freshly pressed apple juice

Apple slices to garnish

Method

Add five cubes of glass into a rocks glass.

Pour in Cooper dog ( or any blended malt Scotch whisky).

Add your apple juice.

Garnish with apple to finish.

Head outside and enjoy!

Johnnie & Elderflower

whisky cocktails

Picture: Johnnie Walker

Ingredients

50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label

200ml elderflower cordial

Splash of soda.

Method

Take 50ml Johnnie Walker Black Label add 20ml elderflower cordial and top with soda.

Finish with fresh elderflower and a sprig of lavender.

Penicillin

whisky cocktail recipes

Picture: Blair Bowman

Whisky consultant and author Blair Bowman says of this cocktail: "a favourite of mine and one that is pretty easy to replicate at home is the Penicillin, which is basically a cold hot toddy.

"It has Whisky, lemon and honey in it. Hopefully most people have honey in their cupboards and perhaps a couple lemons in the fridge. The recipe usually calls for ginger syrup or ginger liquor but I prefer it without."

Ingredients

50ml whisky

25ml freshly squeeze lemon juice

25ml honey

10ml smoky whisky (optional: for a float on top).

Shake the first three ingredients together. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Option to 'float' 10ml of smoky whisky on top of the cocktail. To do this pour the smoky whisky over the back of a spoon and it should just 'float' on top of the drink. Garnish with lemon or ginger slice.

Highland Park Orcadian Cooler

whisky cocktail recipes

Picture: Highland Park

Ingredients

50ml Highland Park 12

20ml lemon juice

20ml elderflower cordial

Top with chilled soda water

Method

Fill the glass with ice.

Pour the ingredients in the order listed, then top with chilled soda.

Gently stir and garnish with an orange wheel.

Whisky tonic

Ingredients

50ml Glenfiddich 12

Fresh mint leaves

A drop of honey

Tonic

Ice

Ingredients

This cocktail is really simple as it's made like a G&T.

Pour the whisky into a glass, add the fresh mint and muddle.

Add ice and honey then stir.

Top up with tonic.

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Known for cake making, experimental jam recipes, Champagne, whisky and gin drinking (and the inability to cook Gnocchi), Rosalind is the Food and Drink Editor and whisky writer for The Scotsman, as well as hosting Scran, The Scotsman's food and drink podcast.
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