Summer is upon us, and around these parts that means hot nights, cool dips, and an invigorating ice-cold whiskey cocktail. When done right, whiskey can bring the perfect dose of buzz and refreshment to hot-weather outings, laying to rest once and for all the notion that whiskey is only for sipping in front of a cackling fireplace in February.
We’ve got a few tried-and-true tricks up our sleeves for making whiskey sing as the base for a summer cocktail. One: lemon or lime juice. Another: mint. One or the other of these two ingredients appears in each of the summer whiskey cocktail recipes below.
A third trick for the summer whiskey cocktail? Keep it simple–it’s too hot for complication! And finally: Include ice, keeping it not only simple but refreshingly cold.
Read on for the whiskey cocktail recipes that keep us cool when mercury rises.
First came the Arnold Palmer, named after the great golfer who used to order the virgin tea-and-lemonade combo before it had a moniker. Next came the John Daly, with vodka and named after another golfing great who loved his booze. And here we have the Kenny Perry, the final installment in the celebrated golfer cocktail triumvirate. This Kenny Perry recipe substitutes rye for vodka in a tribute to Kentucky-born pro golfer Kenny Perry.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Pinhook Rye
1.5 oz. Iced tea
.75 oz. Simple syrup
.75 oz. Fresh lemon juice
5 Mint leaves
Lemon wedge and mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions:
01. Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add mint and ice and shake.
02. Double strain (from shaker into a strainer over the glass) into a Collins glass over fresh ice.
03. Serve with a cocktail straw, garnished with a lemon wedge and a sprig of mint.
Here is your annual reminder that this mint julep recipe ought to be enjoyed not only on the first Saturday in May, but on every subsequent hot day through to September. It originated, after all, in the 18th century American South as a favorite antidote to the region's famed summer swelter.
Ingredients:
2 oz Pinhook Bourbon
.25 oz Simple syrup
4-5 Mint leaves
1 Mint sprig
Instructions:
01. Muddle mint and simple syrup in a julep cup.
02. Add bourbon and mix with bar spoon.
03. Fill cup with crushed ice so it forms a mound at the top of the cup.
04. Garnish with mint sprig.
Simple ice-cold perfection on an August afternoon, this highball cocktail is a bonafide classic – the bourbon rickey actually preceded the gin rickey in the 1800s. Plus, it’s easy to make, which is just the thing when it's too hot to move. For those who prefer their cocktails without sugar, this one hits the mark, with its fizzy, tart take on summer sipping.
Ingredients:
2 oz Pinhook Bourbon
1 oz Lime juice
Sparkling water
Instructions:
01. Pour bourbon and lime juice into a highball glass filled with ice.
02. Stir with a bar spoon, then fill the glass with sparkling water and stir again.
This was a perennial customer favorite on the cocktail menu of Maysville, our Master Blender Sean Josephs' old bourbon restaurant in Manhattan, where it appeared every summer to refresh thirsty patrons--much like its namesake, the regular long-shot political candidate in Tennessee.
Ingredients:
1.5oz Pinhook Rye
1oz Simple syrup
.5oz Lime juice
3 Cubes Watermelon
1 Basil leaf for garnish
Instructions:
01. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.
02. Double strain (from shaker into a strainer over the glass) into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
03. Garnish with basil leaf.
This centuries-old cocktail has seen imbibers through many a summer season. The clean and classic version below calls for muddled mint, but feel free to add fruits to the equation--in-season berries can give the cocktail an especially delectable boost.
Ingredients:
2 oz. Pinhook Bourbon
1 oz. Lemon juice
.75 oz. Simple syrup
4-5 Mint leaves
1 Lemon peel
1 Mint sprig, for garnish
Instructions:
01. In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves with simple syrup.
02. Add bourbon, lemon juice and ice.
03. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass with new ice.
04. Garnish with lemon peel and mint sprig.
Created in the early aughts but with the feel of a pre-Prohibition classic, the Gold Rush came about as bartenders began tweaking recipes, pouring newly available liqueurs, and swapping in alternate base spirits--this Gold Rush recipe can be considered a summer-friendly twist on the Whiskey Sour or Bee's Knees.
Ingredients:
2 oz Pinhook Bourbon
1 oz. Lemon juice
.75 oz. Honey syrup
1 Lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions:
01. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
02. Shake vigorously and strain over new ice in a rocks glass.
03. Garnish with lemon wheel.
