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Some of us might think that there is nothing complicated about drinking whisky. That is true somehow if your “drinking session” simply consists of filling a glass full of ice cubes with your favorite label, topping up with (carbonated) water, mixing it all together, and guzzling it down as though it were Italian soda. Great. That’s what most of us do in nightclubs here.

Even though there is no right or wrong way to drink whisky, doing that would tragically affect the chance to learn and appreciate more about your chosen bottle.

For us, in the spirit of indulgence and enjoying such a prestigious beverage like whisky, “the art” should be involved. Here, we’d like to bring up some of the techniques that can heighten the experience, and pleasure, of imbibing it.

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4 Ways to Drink Whisky

There are generally 4 ways to enjoy whisky.

Neat

Drinking whisky “neat” is believed to be the purest way to “get to know” about it. You sip the liquid directly without mixing it with other things, thus it is quite powerful comparing to other drinking methods. It’s important to note that this is not equivalent to downing shots. This way allows you to appreciate the whisky for all its fiery nuances. You could look at the colors that imply its aging techniques. For example, premium whiskies that show darker amber hue usually reflect longer time spent in the barrels and, as a result, more complexity and depth in their flavors. 

However, we can’t imply this when we are drinking more commercial whiskies because these days almost every brand out there adds caramel coloring into their products to build the appearances – and consistency. Observing the colors will not help much either in case of the bourbon. Bourbon makers tend to re-use their barrels several times, so the colors faded.

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After learning about the color, it’s time to smell. To do that, you don’t have to get very close to the liquid, unlike some other types of drinks. The reason is that whisky normally contains a high alcohol level which might numb your sense of smell. Most whiskies offer great warm and fragrant aroma (like vanilla and smoke) but now there are also some brands that try to blend their whiskies to smell like fruits and flowers. Interesting, isn’t it? Well, now it’s about time to sip gently and savor.

Try our selection from Speyside (Scotland), the world most famous whiksy region >> Enjoy

Although this way might sound ideal for tasting whisky, we prefer adding water to it.

Water

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Adding a few drops of clean water to the whisky will, without doubt, dilute it slightly. Nevertheless, it does more than that. It “opens up” the flavors and nicely enhance the overall balance. It’s important to say that this method requires just a cap-full of water, and perhaps you could add a bit more, drop-by-drop, if you can still feel too much alcohol. Doing it the right way, you would have a glass of refined whisky to enjoy.   

Check our selection of single malts >> Enjoy

Ice

Drinking whisky “on the rocks” is not very popular among serious drinkers because ice usually adds more water than you want as it melts. That’s not a good thing. Besides, most ice cubes were made from tap water that contains chlorine, a big no-no for whisky.

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Our suggestion is to use one big ice cube made from “good-quality water”. Nowadays, you could find so many types of ice in the market; ice ball, crystal-shaped, slow melting, for example. You also have a thing called “whisky stones” that would chill your drink without melting down. 

Another thing is that we don’t recommend you to drink a single-malt whisky with ice. It will ruin everything.

Blended whiskies to try on the rocks >> Enjoy

Cocktail

If you are not really into the taste of whisky, or you want to be adventurous and experience new things, go ahead and make a cocktail. There are a countless number of cocktail recipes available on the internet in our day. Pick some from the classical category, another from modern or progressive lists and take your time. However, we know that it is not an easy task making a good cocktail and you might get frustrated with the results at the end of the day. One easier way is heading to a bar nearby and talk to bartenders. We do that almost every night.   

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 Check our whisky based cocktail sets >> Enjoy

There is a thing to remember when you want to try a good whisky-based cocktail. Don’t go for the most expensive labels because it is a waste of money. Most of them are made for proper sipping not mixing with sweetened liquors, juice or lime syrup. Mid-range whiskies would do much better here. 

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There you are, the 4 ways to drink whisky. Anyways, we still want to tell you again that there is absolutely no right or wrong way to enjoy your whisky. If you want to do it in your own style, like putting lots of ice and water into it, keep doing. The most important thing is your satisfaction. The methods we brought up today are just ways to down whisky properly, like a gentleman. Cheers.