Scotch is known for its bold, smokey flavors which can make it a challenge to mix with. You want to show off the nuances of the spirit and not cover them up with too many other ingredients, but you also need to work careful to balance those big flavors. But it can be done!
These recipes from Isle of Skye embrace the smokey character of Scotch to create complex and intriguing drinks. The first is a sour, which is a great format for practically any spirit.
“The Isle of Skye 8 Year Old is a complex and multi-dimensional smoky whisky, which is not just about peat. It has a fruity side, and it’s these Speyside and Highland whisky notes of citrus and vanilla, with hints of toffee, which are picked up by the apricot and cherry flavors in the cocktail,” said Gordon Dallas, Isle of Skye Brand Ambassador. “The peated nature of the whisky means that there is delicious smoke here, but it acts as a backdrop to the fruitier flavours of the cocktail, providing balance and sweetness to a classic sour cocktail.”
The second recipe is for a Julep, a drink best known as featuring bourbon. But it works with Scotch too, Dallas says: ‘The Isle of Skye 12 Year Old is a perfect combination for this Julep. Too much smoke would dampen down the refreshing style which makes this cocktail so famous, but the level of smoke in the whisky perfectly underpins all the ingredients. The honeyed, heathery sweetness and gentle orange zestiness which come from our mainland whiskies in this blend, add a depth and mouthfeel while allowing the mint to shine. Perfection!”
Misty Isle Sour
- 2 oz Isle of Skye 8yr
- 0.5 oz Cherry Syrup
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 3 dashes of apricot bitters
Garnish with a skewered maraschino cherry
Served: on the rocks, rocks glass
Portree Passionfruit Julep
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Isle of Skye 8yr
- 0.25 oz Mint Syrup
- Pulp from 1/2 Passionfruit
- 12 mint leaves
Garnish with a bouquet of mint
Served: Crushed ice, Metal Julep Tin
