If you’re anywhere in the UK right now, you will already know that we have been dealing with some pretty high temperatures recently. We’re in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures climbing toward 38°C and the nights barely cooling off. It’s the second official heatwave of the year, and it is a lot.
When it gets like this, I want very little out of life. A shady spot, a fan pointed directly at my face, and something long, cold, and refreshing in my hand, preferably with whisky in it. So with the weekend coming up, I thought I’d share five of my favorite whisky cocktails for hot weather, along with the bottles I like to reach for when I make them.
One quick bit of housekeeping before we get to the good stuff. Alcohol dehydrates you, which is the last thing you need when it’s this hot, so drink plenty of water alongside these. Wear your SPF, stay out of direct sun during the worst of the afternoon, and pace yourself.
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READ THE STORYThe Mint Julep
A hot weather classic, enjoyed in great numbers every year at the Kentucky Derby. The Mint Julep is bourbon, sugar, and a generous handful of fresh mint, served over a small mountain of crushed ice. The sugar draws the oils out of the mint, and the crushed ice keeps everything cold and slowly loosens the drink as you go. It’s a calm, aromatic, easy sipper on a hot afternoon.
I really enjoy Woodford Reserve Double Oaked in a Mint Julep. It’s bottled at 43.2% in the UK, which gives it enough backbone to survive all that ice without turning watery halfway down,, and the second barrel finish gives it a rich, almost dessert-like quality, with caramel, vanilla, and a bit of dark fruit. All of that sits really nicely against the mint.
Ingredients:
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- 2½ oz bourbon
- ½ oz simple syrup, plus a little more to taste
- 8 to 12 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for the top
- Crushed ice
Method:
- Gently muddle the mint leaves with the syrup in your glass or julep cup.
- Add the bourbon and fill the glass with crushed ice.
- Stir until the outside of the cup frosts over.
- Top with a little more crushed ice, and rub a mint sprig between your hands to release the aromatics before adding to the top.
The Whisky & Elderflower Highball
I love the taste of elderflower, though I accept it can be an acquired taste, and this long whisky cocktail is one of my personal favorites. A highball is just whisky and a fizzy mixer (usually soda water) over plenty of ice, and swapping in elderflower gives it a soft, floral lift that suits warm weather. It’s tall, crisp, and refreshing, with the soda keeping everything light and the elderflower adding a gentle sweetness and aroma. A twist of lemon at the end cuts through the sweetness.
I like Fettercairn 12 here. It’s a Highland single malt with a bright, fruity character, all orchard fruit and a touch of tropical sweetness, with a little vanilla underneath. Those softer, floral notes sit beautifully alongside the elderflower rather than competing with it, and the soda lifts the whole thing nicely.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz whisky
- ½ to 1 oz elderflower liqueur, or ¾ oz elderflower cordial
- 3 to 4 oz chilled soda water
- A lemon twist
- A sprig of mint (optional)
Method:
- Fill a tall glass with plenty of ice.
- Add the whisky and elderflower.
- Top with the soda water and stir once, gently, to keep the fizz.
- Express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in, adding a sprig of mint if you like.
Bourbon Peach Iced Tea
A grown-up version of the iced tea you’d reach for on a hot day anyway. The tea brings a gentle tannin that echoes the oak in the bourbon, the peach adds summer sweetness, and a good squeeze of lemon keeps it bright. It’s long, refreshing, and very easy to make in a big batch for a garden full of people.
Four Roses is my pick for this one. It’s a soft, fruity bourbon with notes of apple, pear, and a little honey, and it blends into the tea and peach without taking over. It’s also great value, which makes it an easy choice when you’re mixing up a jug rather than measuring out a single glass.
Ingredients:
- 1½ to 2 oz bourbon
- 3 to 4 oz chilled black tea, brewed and cooled
- ¾ to 1 oz peach syrup
- ½ to ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- A little simple syrup, to taste
- Peach slices, lemon, and mint to garnish
Method:
- Add fresh lemon juice and peach syrup to the glass and stir.
- Add the bourbon, tea, and lemon juice over ice.
- Stir well to combine and chill.
- Taste and add a touch of simple syrup if it needs it, then garnish with peach, lemon, and mint.
Crown Royal Blackberry Mojito
A berry twist on the mojito, and a good one for summer, this recipe comes directly from Crown Royal. Mint, lime, and soda make it long and lively, and the blackberry adds a juicy depth that works really well with whisky in place of the usual rum. It’s smooth, fruity, and dangerously easy to drink in the sun.
Crown Royal Blackberry is a smooth Canadian whisky with real blackberry flavor built in, so you don’t need much extra sweetness, just a little lime and syrup to balance it out. It’s bottled on the lower side at 35%, which suits a long, refreshing drink you’ll be sipping slowly.
Ingredients:
- 1½ oz Crown Royal Blackberry
- ½ oz fresh lime juice
- ¼ oz simple syrup
- Fresh mint
- Club soda, to top
- Blackberries and mint to garnish
Method:
- Muddle the mint leaves with the simple syrup and lime juice in a tall glass.
- Add the Crown Royal Blackberry and fill with crushed ice.
- Stir well, then top with soda water.
- Garnish with mint, lime, and a blackberry or two.
Pineapple Whisky Smash
We finish with something bright and tropical. A smash is built around fresh fruit and mint, shaken hard so it is cold and a little frothy. The pineapple brings a sweet-tart punch, the lemon keeps it from going too sugary, and the mint adds a fresh lift.
Indri Trini is a lovely match for this one. It’s an Indian single malt matured in three different casks, with a tropical, fruit-forward character that includes notes of caramelized pineapple. Bottled at 46%, it has the strength to hold its own through the ice and citrus without disappearing into the mix.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz whisky
- 2 to 3 chunks of fresh pineapple, or 1 oz pineapple juice
- ½ to ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
- ½ to ¾ oz simple syrup
- 6 to 8 mint leaves
- A couple of dashes of Angostura bitters (optional)
- A pineapple wedge and mint to garnish
Method:
- Muddle the pineapple, mint, and lemon juice in the bottom of a shaker.
- Add the whisky, simple syrup, and bitters, then fill with ice.
- Shake hard until cold.
- Double-strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with pineapple and mint.
Make These Summer Whisky Cocktails Your Own
These are simply the bottles I happen to reach for, and none of this is set in stone. Use whatever whisky you enjoy and have on hand, whether that’s an old favorite or something you’ve been meaning to open. Half the fun is seeing how a different bottle changes the drink. The one tip worth remembering is to start a little under-sweet and adjust upward, since cold drinks always taste less sweet than they do at room temperature.
So that’s my five. Now I want to hear yours. What’s your go-to summer drink when the weather turns like this? Let me know in the comments, and whatever you’re pouring this weekend, keep the water topped up and the SPF handy.
