Wondering what the best whiskey cocktails are? If you’ve got a bottle to use up, I’ve got you covered with this guide! There are so many delicious cocktails to choose from.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Platings + Pairings.
Do you have a bottle of whiskey that’s been hanging around in your liquor cabinet forever? Wondering how to use it up?
There are so many amazing whiskey drinks out there!
I typically use it in my favorite hot toddies, but it’s also a key ingredient to many other cocktail recipes!
PS – Wondering about the differences between whiskey and bourbon? Read all about Whiskey vs. Bourbon here.
So let’s get started!
The BEST Whiskey Cocktails: The Lineup
The New York Sour Slush is a frothy, frozen version of a tart whiskey sour. Refined with a splash of sweet red wine syrup, this sophisticated adult slushy is easy to make and will be a hit at your next summer gathering.
Get the RECIPE
This classic Mint Julep recipe is the perfect Kentucky Derby Cocktail. Learn about the best bourbon to use, its ingredients and history.
Get the RECIPE
The Paper Plane Cocktail is a bittersweet modern cocktail made with just 4 ingredients. Well-balanced and tangy, it’s perfect for those new to whiskey or if you’re looking for a boozy drink that goes down easy.
Get the RECIPE
Putting a festive spin on a classic cocktail with this Cranberry Bourbon Sour. Simply mix everything together for a perfectly sweetened very merry cocktail!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Learn how to make egg nog from scratch with this easy recipe that’s perfect for the holidays! Serve it as-is for a non-alcoholic eggnog or spike it with your favorite alcohol like brandy, bourbon or rum.
Get the RECIPE
Not only is the New York Sour cocktail stunning, but the combination of flavors and the silky texture makes this one hell of a winner! This New York Sour recipe consists of a classic whiskey sour base finished with a red wine float.
Get the RECIPE from Zestful Kitchen
Nightmare on Bourbon Street…the delicious, perfectly sweet, easy, spiced, and warming drink to cozy up to on a haunted Hallows Eve!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
This whiskey sour recipe is sweetened with maple syrup, which tastes so much more interesting than basic simple syrup. The recipe includes plenty of fresh lemon juice and a hefty pinch of ground cinnamon, which offers some warming flavor for cold winter days. You can skip the cinnamon, though, if you would like a classic whiskey sour.
Get the RECIPE from Cookie and Kate
Get into the spirit of the season with this Holiday Cheermeister Bourbon Punch. Warming bourbon, sweet pomegranate juice, zesty citrus, and bubbly Prosecco, all mixed together to create the perfect holiday punch. Serve this poured over homemade festive “holiday” ice cubes for the prettiest seasonal…
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
This delicious Hot Toddy recipe is perfect for chilly weather. Learn several variations on how to make a hot toddy – with tea, apple cider, brandy, bourbon, or rum.
Get the RECIPE
Garden Cherry Bourbon Smash: a summer garden-inspired cocktail. Super simple, but oh so pretty…the perfect cocktail to really kick off summer!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
An infused cherry and vanilla bean single malt whiskey makes this great whiskey sour cocktail that is full of flavor and so easy to make!
Get the RECIPE from Gastronomblog.com
Mulled Apple Cider is a cozy warm beverage for chilly nights. Make it in the slow cooker, on the stove or in your instant pot. Can be served non-alcoholic or spiked with your favorite spirit.
Get the RECIPE
Celebrate the season with this Cinnamon Bourbon Fizz, great for holiday parties with family and friends…the perfect cozy winter cocktail!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
This Cranberry Maple Bourbon Smash Cocktail is the perfect fall cocktail. Whip up a batch of maple-cranberry simple syrup in just 5-minutes. Then combine it with bourbon and cranberry juice, top it with a rosemary sprig and enjoy!
Get the RECIPE
Spiced Persimmon Bourbon Old Fashioned: The perfect warming cocktail for cold fall and winter nights!
Get the RECIPE from @halfbakedharvest.com
Vanilla Cinnamon Maple Whiskey Sour: So easy…no fancy ingredients, and you don’t have to cook a thing. Simply mix, shake, pour, and enjoy!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Watermelon whiskey cocktail with watermelon syrup, citrus, and a healthy dose of whiskey.
Get the RECIPE from Cocktail Contessa
This Gingerbread Whiskey Sour recipe from The Whole Smiths is perfect for any holiday or Christmas celebration. It’s easy enough for any home bartender to master but fancy enough to make you feel you’re sitting at a fancy bar.
Get the RECIPE from The Whole Smiths
This ultimate Whiskey Sour Recipe features smooth bourbon shaken with citrus juices, orange bitters, simple syrup, grenadine, & topped with a perfect egg white foam! The easiest, tastiest Whiskey cocktail!
Get the RECIPE from Healthy Little Peach
A bright and refreshing, keto whiskey drink made with fresh muddled strawberries and a slight twang of tasty lemon juice for only a handful of net carbs.
Get the RECIPE from Bonappeteach.com
Hot Apple Cider Buttered Whiskeys are a perfect warm up for holiday entertaining.
Get the RECIPE from Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
This Whiskey Sunset Cocktail is some kind of wonderful with its single malt whiskey base and endless fruity flavor. Make extra, because once your guests get a sip of this one, they’re going to want more. Read on!
Get the RECIPE from A Worthy Read
The perfect Thanksgiving cocktail. This fall spiced whiskey sour features apple cider and whiskey and tastes like autumn in a glass!
Get the RECIPE from Modern Glam
Sage Brown Derby. A refreshing and boozy winter drink that is perfect for daily enjoyment or a gathering.
Get the RECIPE from Omnivores Cookbook
This Charred Orange Whiskey drink is a twist on the classic Old Fashioned. The flavor that you get from the charred orange slice is amazing!
Get the RECIPE from Mantitlement
Gingered Peach Bourbon Thyme Smash: deliciously sweet, hinted with thyme, and kicked up with a little ginger fizz action…ginger beer
Get the RECIPE from @halfbakedharvest.com
Fresh apple cider, zesty orange, sweet fig preserves, a generous shot of bourbon, and a splash of sparkling water. This cider smash is sweet, citrusy, and warming. The perfect cocktail to cozy up to and welcome the start of autumn.
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Get ready to up your cocktail game, people. This smoked rosemary and blackberry whiskey sour is a show-stopper and tastes even better than it looks!
Get the RECIPE from Mighty Mrs
Two summer classics, lemonade and peaches, are combined to make a refreshing summer cocktail that everyone is sure to love. This pitcher style drink requires just three ingredients, and about 5 minutes of prep time. It’s doesn’t get easier or more delicious.
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
This Apple Pie Cinnamon cocktail (for the over 21 crowd) is a festive drink for fall. Serve either warm or cold.
Get the RECIPE from Cooking on the Front Burners
This Spicy Bourbon Pumpkin Smash is the perfect cozy cocktail for long autumn and winter nights. Homemade spiced pumpkin syrup, mixed with warming bourbon, orange, and bitters.
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Smoked rosemary and Irish whiskey are a match made in heaven. This twist on the classic old-fashioned is sure to please any whiskey lover.
Get the RECIPE from This is Mel Drake
The classic whiskey sour gets a smoky upgrade from a splash of mezcal. Shaked with an egg white, this cocktail is not only smoky, it’s also lusciously foamy.
Get the RECIPE from Zestful Kitchen
Try this whiskey and honey cocktail; it’s a blend of chamomile, lemon balm, and valerian root. Perfect for those warmer nights when you want something refreshing and calming.
Get the RECIPE from Broma Bakery
Spiced Honey Bourbon Old Fashioned…simply mix everything together for a cocktail that’s perfectly sweetened, spiced, and so delicious!
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
Your Friday night can be the perfect type of Blue with this easy cocktail mixed with Whiskey, Blue Whiskey. It’s a hard drink which is blue in color, with a fantastic taste!
Get the RECIPE from A Worthy Read
Grilled Peach and Basil Arnold Palmer w/ or w/out bourbon, a deliciously refreshing healthy – yes healthy, drink (minus bourbon) , from halfbakedharvest.com
Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest
This pumpkin whiskey smash is the perfect cocktail to enjoy this fall. Made with homemade pumpkin simple syrup and seasoned with pumpkin pie spice, this whisky cocktail is one cozy drink.
Get the RECIPE from The Cookie Rookie
More Liquor Guides
- Bourbon Cocktails
- Rum Cocktails
- Tequila Cocktails
- Gin Cocktails
- Vodka Cocktails
- Triple Sec Cocktails
- Aperol Cocktails
- Cointreau Cocktails
- Moscow Mule Cocktails
- Creme de Violette Cocktails
- Blackberry Cocktails
40+ BEST Whiskey Cocktails
Wondering what the BEST whiskey cocktails are? There are over 40+ to choose from with this helpful list! Try this Cranberry Maple Bourbon Smash Cocktail. It's the perfect fall cocktail!
Print
Pin
Servings: 1 cocktail
Ingredients
Maple Cranberry Simple Syrup:
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup from Canada
- ¼ c water
- 1 cup frozen cranberries
Cocktail:
- 1 ounce maple cranberry syrup
- 1 ½ ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce unsweetened cranberry juice
- Ice
- Rosemary sprigs (to garnish)
Instructions
Maple Cranberry Simple Syrup:
- In a small saucepan, bring maple syrup and cranberries to a simmer over medium-high heat until berries begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Strain and let cool. (Makes enough simple syrup for 6 cocktails.)
Cocktail:
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add maple-cranberry simple syrup, bourbon and cranberry juice. Shake well and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with rosemary sprigs. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
Equipment
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 64mg | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 31mg
