New year, new you. With the turning of the page into a fresh new year, the opportunities to upgrade your life are plenty. And although you still might not want to cruise over to your favorite neighborhood haunt and have the bartender whip up your preferred whiskey cocktail, by now you should be a master mixologist at home. This means you should also know that a good whiskey drink can cure just about anything. These are the whiskey cocktails you should try in 2021.
Brain Duster
With a name like “brain duster” you can assume this is a drink that can help clear the metaphorical cobwebs. Doubts, worries, existential fears? Who needs ‘em?!
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. rye whiskey
- 1 oz. absinthe
- 1 oz. Italian vermouth
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Directions: Stir ingredients well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Millionaire
Unlike most millionaires this whiskey cocktail is anything but pretentious. The dash of grenadine gives a sweet and pleasant touch while the egg white adds texture.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. rye whiskey
- ½ oz. Grand Marnier
- 1 dash grenadine
- 1 egg white
Directions: Shake ingredients with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Paper Plane
The Paper Plane is an easy cocktail that you can’t mess up – unless you shake it too much. It should be cold but not watery. Bonus points for adding a little paper plane as a “garnish.”
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz. bourbon
- ¾ oz. Aperol
- ¾ oz. Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
- ¾ oz. lemon juice
Directions: Shake ingredients well with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Gold Rush
Spoiler: the Gold Rush is just a hot toddy but with ice. And you can’t go wrong with a three-ingredient cocktail that’s super easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. bourbon
- ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz. honey
Directions: Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. No need to garnish.
‘Rol and Rye
Per Esquire, “If an Aperol Spritz brashly screams summer, a 'Rol and Rye is the slightly more mellow alternative that doesn't give a damn what season you drink it in.” In that case, I’ll take two of ‘em.
Ingredients:
- 1-½ oz. rye whiskey
- 1-½ oz. Aperol
- Club soda
Directions: Combine the rye whiskey and the Aperol in a highball glass over ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with an orange wheel.
Cold Fashioned
Cold Fashioned: a three-component drink that doesn’t require any bar equipment. Add coffee to the mix and you’ve got a cocktail that’ll do the job no matter the time of day. (We won’t tell.)
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. your favorite whiskey
- 1 oz. cold brew liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Directions: Build over ice and stir. Garnish with orange peel.
