While I have always loved a good single malt Scotch, I’ve recently started to appreciate and enjoy Scotch cocktails.

Now, a quick clarifying note:
A single malt Scotch is distilled at one distillery and not blended with any other whiskies. The age on the bottle is the age of the whole batch. Single malts carry distinct tastes heavily influenced by the regions where they are aged. A blended Scotch, however, is a mixture of already-distilled Scotches and grain whiskies. If the bottle has an age at all, it is the age of the youngest Scotch in the blend. Blends tend to be much smoother, and the vast majority of Scotch consumed in America is blended Scotch. For example, all Johnnie Walker Scotches are blends.

I don’t really drink blended Scotches straight; I’d much rather have single malt in that case. However, when making Scotch cocktails, I prefer to use a blended Scotch since the introduction of ice and other mixers has the effect of breaking up the blend and giving a variety of flavors. Of late, my go-to has been Johnnie Walker White Walker (due in part to the fact that I’m finally watching Game of Thrones). While there are a slew of classic Scotch cocktails, two have consistently been on the menu for House Lewis lately:

Scotch & Soda

There’s something to be said for the two-ingredient cocktail, and Scotch & Soda is one of my favorites. The recipe could not be simpler: put ice in a highball or collins glass, add Scotch and soda, stir and serve. Piece of cake. Again, what makes this cocktail interesting is the way the ice and soda interact with the different components of the blend to bring out different flavors. Scotch & Soda is also perhaps the lowest calorie cocktail you can make, and it’s great for a hot day.

The Rob Roy

Okay, going just a hair fancier here with three ingredients and an optional garnish. The Rob Roy is a variation of the Manhattan, but instead of rye or bourbon, use Scotch. (Sidebar: the Irish Whiskey variant of the Manhattan is called an “Emerald.” Manhattan, Rob Roy, Emerald— they’re all the same recipe but with a different base whiskey.) The recipe is as follows:
– 2 oz blended Scotch whiskey
– 1 oz sweet red vermouth
– 2-3 dashes of aromatic bitters (such as Angostura)
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If desired, garnish with one or two maraschino cherries on a cocktail skewer.

Because Scotch so often possesses a punchier earthier quality, I think of the Rob Roy as a more aggressive Manhattan. I should also note that I’ve been playing with my bitters lately, and I’ve really enjoyed a Rob Roy with Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters. (And if anyone is ever looking for a gift for me, I sure wouldn’t say no to that full Woodford bitters set.)

Now, all this being said, if you’re digging around for classic cocktail recipes, you may want to exercise a little caution; there are some older Scotch cocktails which hit a little… um… different on the modern palate. With so much emphasis on vodka and rum based cocktails in the latter half of the 20th Century, Scotch-based recipes have kind of a big gap in the middle, and the older recipes can be a bit aggressive. I’m thinking especially of the Blood and Sand, a drink which often appears on lists of classic cocktails but which I’ve never really enjoyed. The Blood and Sand is equal parts (traditionally 3/4 oz) sweet red vermouth, cherry brandy, blended Scotch, and fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s got a cough syrup sweetness to it which I’ve just never enjoyed, but I think there’s still hope to doctor it into something more palatable.

There are countless more Scotch cocktails out there, but these are the ones I’ve been enjoying lately. What are you drinking these days? Have you tried these recipes? Comment below, or head over to the Bar Chaplain social media profiles to talk more.