Break the rules with these seasonal single malt whisky cocktails

Use your high-end whiskies in high-end cocktails

By Georgina Torbet Published November 5, 2024

single malt whisky fall cocktails the macallan october leaves 1 — The Macallan

The conventional wisdom says that it’s fine to mix lower end whiskies into cocktails, but your good stuff — the high-quality single malts — should only ever be sipped, and that to mix them into cocktails is an affront to their flavors. However, plenty of people question that approach. After all, if you want a great-tasting cocktail, you should use the best ingredients you can get your hands on.

And so if you want to create a truly special cocktail, you can use a truly special whiskey like those from The Macallan. The brand is best known for its highly limited edition releases, but it also recommends using some of its options in cocktails. One suggestion for the fall is to combine The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow with a chili-based liqueur, Giffard Espelette, and lime juice, orgeat, and all spice. Or combine The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old with sweet vermouth and coffee for a rich coffee experience.

Recommended Videos

October Leaves

The Macallan

Ingredients:

1.5 oz The Macallan Harmony Collection Amber Meadow
0.5 oz Giffard Espelette
0.75 oz Lime Juice
0.75 oz Pepita Orgeat
6 Dash Allspice Dram Liqueur

Method:

Add ingredients to a shaker tin with ice and shake well. Strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube, and garnish with dehydrated Lime and a grate of nutmeg.

Exceptionally Extracted

The Macallan

Ingredients:

50ml The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old
25ml coffee bean-infused sweet vermouth
2.5ml coffee liqueur
15 dark roast Arabica coffee beans

Method:

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with cubed ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or Nick & Nora. Finish with a garnish of orange zest.

Georgina Torbet

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…

Food & Drink

How to make a Spicy Cempasúchil cocktail (hint: it involves infused tequila)

YaVe pepper cocktail.

Hispanic Heritage Month is coming in fast. To celebrate, we're raising a glass to the 20 Spanish-speaking countries on the map, as well as the countless Latinx communities that reside here in the states. And that calls for a good beverage.

We thought we'd try something that honors Mexico. It's a cocktail featuring jalapeno Tequila and named after a plant native to Guatemala and Mexico. It's called the Spicy Cempasúchil and you can make it a home.

Food & Drink

Stop cooking pork like it’s 1995 — the rules have changed

Why pink pork is safe (and actually way more delicious)

Pork chops on cutting board

If you grew up in a household where pork chops were slim enough to double as bookmarks and so overcooked that they squeaked against your teeth, you’re not alone. For decades, American home cooks treated pork the way they treated chicken during a salmonella scare: as something to be scorched into submission in the name of safety. This wasn’t just your mom being overly cautious — it was advice straight from the USDA. In the ’80s and ’90s, the official pork cooking temperature was a hard-and-fast 160°F, and by the time meat reached that point, it was about as juicy as a kitchen sponge.
The culprit behind this era of gray, sawdust-dry pork? A tiny parasitic worm called Trichinella spiralis — better known as the cause of trichinosis. Back then, it was a real concern, and overcooking was the only weapon home cooks had against it. But here’s the thing: farming practices have changed, the risk is almost nonexistent, and the USDA has lowered the recommended safe temperature to 145°F. Which means if you’re still cooking pork like it’s 1995, you’re missing out on the juicy, tender, actually delicious version of it.
Clinging to outdated pork-cooking rules is like still microwaving your coffee in a foam cup — technically possible, but why would you? The science has changed, the product has changed, and the official guidelines have changed. It’s time our cooking habits caught up.

Why pork got such a bad reputation

Food & Drink

How to make Tequila Corralejo’s Cocoa Old Fashioned

Cocoa Old Fashioned.

Hispanic Heritage Month is coming up and that calls for some deep dives into fascinating cultures. A great way to do so is by way of food, whether that's a dish from traditional Mexican cuisine or a cocktail that honors a specific place. It's a great way to experience the flavors of the world and broaden your palate.

A tequila brand reached out with a cocktail we could not resist. It's a Mexican riff on a classic drink, treated to an agave spirit, chocolate, and peppers. It's a great way to showcase the dynamic nature of tequila.