With the festive season upon us, gatherings kick off with delicious food and tasty drinks to toast over.
A drink of choice for many who enjoy savouring oaky flavours and spicy undertones is often whiskey. But it isn’t only enjoyed neat or on the rocks, there are a wide variety of stunning mixes and garnishes that can turn it into your go-to drink for the summer.
And the beverage is no longer known to be just for the dad who kicks back with a whiskey and the evening news.
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Although good whiskey can be intimidating to some – be it the price point, the complex flavours or the high-end status – Thembeka Mgobozi, marketing and innovation manager at global premium spirits company Diageo, shares with TRUELOVE how one can appreciate its intricate notes.
“For me, I enjoy the whiskeys that are smokey and potent ... I enjoy the smoother ones like the single malt like a Green Label for example. So, the nice thing with whiskey is that in a whiskey portfolio there’s something for everyone, you just need to find your flavour.
“For years, we thought whiskey was for men because that’s how the advertising was, you know, things like that. To be honest, you can play around with whiskey, you can see what is whiskey, what does it mean to me … So, I love it in a cocktail. I think one of my favourites is the peach highball ... and I also love a whiskey sour.”
Explore four delicious whiskey-based cocktail recipes to sink into for the summer:
The classic ginger ale
Refresh your senses and cool off in the summer heat with an easy-to-make whiskey, ginger ale and lime cocktail.
In your favourite tumbler glass, fill it with ice and pour in a shot of whiskey then top up the glass with your go-to ginger ale drink and mix. Cut up a large lime wedge, give it a squeeze in the glass to get those juices out and drop the wedge in.
With the drink being one part whiskey and three parts ginger ale with a touch of lime, this simple recipe is all parts refreshing.
Getting red and cherried
Cherries and raspberries are an ideal flavour pairing for whiskey and a cherry liqueur is the perfect addition to sweeten up your whiskey drink.
In a cocktail shaker, mix up two shots of whiskey, 10 ml of a cherry liqueur, a shot of lemon juice and simple syrup and eight fresh raspberries. Then add soda water to an ice-filled glass, double strain your mixer, pour it in the glass and finish it off with a cherry to garnish.
Feelin’ peachy
Get the summer started with a touch of sweetness.
In a tall glass, choose your desired whiskey variant, the light and sweet blonde or floral and honey scented shot over ice.
Pour in your favourite peach-flavoured iced tea, stir and garnish it with a fresh peach or lemon slice and a sprig of time to give you a fruity explosion that is perfect for a poolside relaxation session.
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Butterly Sour
For a more upscale cocktail drink reminiscent of the subtle and fruity flavours of Asia much like the new Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo Whisky variant, mix in a shot or two of single malt whiskey with 25 ml of the traditional Japanese citrus brew yuzu sake, 10 ml of the Japanese sweet rice wine and top it all off with the caffeine-free butterfly pea tea.
This drink will transport you to the exotic and floral avenues of Japan and is a fun and unique twist to the whiskey sour that will sit beautifully on any palate, whether your novice drinker or a seasoned one.
