Skip to main content

Break the rules with these seasonal single malt whisky cocktails

Use your high-end whiskies in high-end cocktails

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
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…
These coffee cocktails are the unexpected summer drinks you’ll crave all season
Summer coffee cocktails that aren't another espresso martini
Mr Black

I could sip on espresso martinis and frozen espresso martinis year-round, but sometimes, on hot summer days, you need something a bit sweeter and fruitier. These fruit-inspired summer coffee cocktails blend traditional summer flavors, like pineapple and strawberry, with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur for a caffeinated and alcoholic twist on your standard summer iced coffee.

Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, made with 100% specialty arabica coffee, Australian wheat vodka, and a touch of cane sugar, is the perfect base for creating unique summer cocktails with a caffeine boost. My favorite is the Café Colada, a drink that makes a great choice when you can't decide whether you want a fruity, frozen drink or an iced coffee (a frequent predicament I face). Here's how to make three fruity, summer coffee cocktails using Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur.

Read more
Love tropical cocktails? Try these fresh takes on summer classics
Elevated twist on classic summer cocktails
Tropical pina colada

Nothing says summertime like tropical coconut, pineapple, yuzu, and more flavors. We're putting a new twist on classic cocktails like a mai tai, pina colada, and margarita this summer. These elevated tropical cocktails will have you returning for more all summer long, inspiring you to try new variations of your favorite classics. From the Coconut Bahama Mama to the Stiggin's Daiquiri, these cocktails are perfect for making at your summer beach house, sipping on at a poolside party, or cooling down after a long summer day. Here's how you can make these distinguished tropical cocktails at home.

Coconut Bahama Mama

Read more
We asked bartenders to tell us the best tips for crafting cocktails at home
A handful of well-known bartenders told us tips to crafting great cocktails at home
Bartender

There hasn't always been as much enthusiasm about mixology. We can thank the cocktail renaissance of the early aughts for the rise in cocktail culture. Not only did it give way to a new wave of innovative, creative bartenders all over the US (and the world), but it also returned classic drinks to prominence and paved the way for a new age of home cocktailing. And while I could write about all of the exciting things the cocktail renaissance brought with it, today, I'm most interested in the art of crafting cocktails at home.

Like many of you, I'm not (and never have been) a bartender. But, in my work, I've spent much time in cocktail bars and around bartenders. I've created a simple, workable home bar featuring tools, ingredients, and bottles of various spirits. But I didn't start with a fully functional home bar on day one. And neither will you.

Read more