Whisky
Whisky is a spirit distilled from malted or unmalted grain and aged in wooden casks. Scotland, Ireland, the United States and Japan are its great traditions.
How to describe it to a guest
It's a bourbon with vanilla and caramel notes, very approachable neat or in an old fashioned.
Origin
It emerged in Ireland and Scotland, then developed in North America with bourbon and rye, and later in Japan.
Production
The grain is malted or cooked, the mash is fermented, distilled in pot or column stills and aged in casks. The wood contributes much of the flavor and color.
Flavor
Grain, honey, vanilla, nuts, spice, dried fruit and, in some Scotch, peat smoke.
Styles
- Scotch Single Malt
- Malted barley from a single Scottish distillery, pot-distilled and aged at least three years.
- Bourbon
- American whiskey with at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak; sweet, with vanilla.
- Rye
- Rye-dominant; drier and spicier.
- Irish Whiskey
- Often smooth and fruity; aged at least three years.
- Japanese Whisky
- Inspired by the Scottish tradition, with elegant, precise styles.
How to serve it
- GlasswareRocks glass
- TemperatureRoom temperature; a few drops of water open up the aromas.
- Offer it neat, over a large cube or with water on the side.
Pairings
- Grilled steaks
- Aged cheeses
- Bittersweet chocolate
Reading the label
- Single Malt
- Malted-barley whisky from a single distillery.
- Cask Strength
- Bottled at barrel proof, without dilution.
- Straight
- In the US, whiskey aged at least two years in new charred oak, with no added color or flavor.
- Edad declarada
- An age statement refers to the youngest whisky in the blend.
Cocktails
Whisky · Stirred
Boulevardier
A Negroni with whiskey instead of gin: rounder, warmer and touched with vanilla. Ideal when the evening turns cool.
Whisky · Stirred
Manhattan
Rye whiskey and sweet vermouth with a touch of bitters: elegant, deep and spicy. A pillar of classic mixology.
Whisky · Stirred
Old Fashioned
The cocktail in its original form: spirit, sugar, bitters and water. A slow sipper that shows off the whiskey.
Whisky · Shaken
Paper Plane
An equal-parts sour of bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino and lemon. Bittersweet, citrusy and easy to remember.
Whisky · Shaken
Penicillin
A Scotch sour with honey and ginger, crowned with a veil of peated whisky. Spicy, soothing and smoky on the nose.
Whisky · Dry shake
Whiskey Sour
Whiskey, lemon and sugar, with optional egg white for a silky foam. Balanced, comforting and very versatile.
Sources
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails
Updated October 20, 2026