Whiskey Spritz

This is an easy to make low alcohol cocktail designed to refresh. Since it's low alcohol you can make a big batch of these to enjoy without worrying about getting too drunk. A lot of cocktails can be very strong, and yes, that can be fun, but ultimately, we all just want a great tasting drink. And this is one.

It's also just a great Scotch based cocktail. As Whiskey cocktails go, Bourbon and Rye tend to be more common, so it's nice to find a reason to use Scotch. Enjoy!

Total Time 4

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

30 mL Scotch Whiskey A blended Scotch Whiskey is best here.
60 mL Ginger Ale
90 mL Apple Juice
1 Wedge of Lemon

Instructions

Build this drink in a tall glass with plenty of ice.
Add Whiskey.
Pour in Ginger Ale.
Squeeze juice from Lemon Wedge and throw it into the drink.
Top up with Apple Juice.
Stir gently.
Enjoy.

Notes

A Spritz style cocktail is nice and refreshing, and not too boozy, so you can enjoy a few of these without worrying about overdoing it. Cocktails are great and all, but can often be pretty high in alcohol; this means it's hard to enjoy too many cocktails without regretting it later. Slow yourself down with a Spritz. You won't regret it.

Keep Reading For More Information on the Whiskey Spritz

Although not extremely common, Whiskey and Ginger Ale is a pretty good combination! The Apple Juice seems a little strange, but Whiskey with a bit of sugar (like in an Old Fashioned) is a pretty common addition, so it actually goes very well, and it plays well with the Ginger Ale.

Cocktail recipes like this don’t often have a story behind, nor do they need to. Adding a little bit of carbonated liquid (whether that just be Soda Water or, in this case the Ginger Ale) is probably about as old as the invention of carbonating liquids. From there, other small alternations, in this case the Apple Juice, happen naturally until something gets a name and it becomes the standard. So go ahead, enjoy this easy cocktail.

Does this recipe work well as a bigger batch?

You can make a Whiskey Spritz as a batch, but you’d likely need to modify the steps to making it a little bit since it’s usually a cocktail that’s built in the glass. Instead, just add all of you ingredients to a mixing glass without ice and get everything combined well. From there you can pour everything into individual glasses with ice.

Will this cocktail be OK to serve later if it’s made early?

Not really. It’s important that the Ginger All in the cocktail is served as carbonated as possible, so you want it to come fresh out of the bottle or can. So don’t go and make the Whiskey Spritz in advance. Make it when you’re ready to drink it.

When’s the best time for a Whiskey Spritz?

We see two great times for a Whiskey Spritz, and they’re two very different times. The first time is at nicer parties. This cocktail is a little lighter in alcohol than a lot of other cocktails, and it may be a good one if you’re standing around drinking for awhile and want to keep it slow. The cocktail also looks really good, so it won’t be out of place with others who may be drinking something a little bit more extravagant. In fact, the Whiskey Spritz isn’t extravagant at all! It’s quite simple. This means it’s easy and quick to make so you won’t be stuck waiting too long for your drink.

On the opposite side of the coin, we also see the Whiskey Spritz as going well in very casual situations. Situations where others may be having a beer but you prefer something else. There’s not as much liquid here as a beer, of course, but if you take it slow, you’ll fit right in.

How strong is a Whiskey Spritz

The Whiskey Spritz is pretty light as cocktails go. Most recipes you’ll find usually specify 60 mL of liquor (sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less) while the Whiskey Spritz only has 30 mL in it. This puts it on the lower end of total alcohol for cocktails in general. While the exact alcohol by volume of the drink will vary depending on what type of Whiskey you’re using, the drink should come in about 6.5-7.5% ABV. Quite a bit stronger than a standard beer, but, then again, there are a few big Craft Beers out there that get to this number!

While there are cocktails out there with a lower alcohol level than this one, we’re going to put this one firmly in the lower alcohol camp.

What music should I put on while having a Whiskey Spritz?

As mentioned earlier, there are two perfect circumstances for the Whiskey Spritz: one being very formal, and one being more casual. However, there’s a third situation we didn’t mention. Cocktails like this, especially because they’re a little lighter than others, are a great drink to have to unwind with at the end of the day. They’re easy to make, not too heavy, and they taste great. It’s the type of cocktail you come home to an quietly enjoy before dinner.

Different people like to unwind with different music, but we’re going to suggest some laid back Acoustic Blues. It’s not heavy at all, it can be enjoyed quietly, and it’s extremely pleasing to listen to. Kind of like this cocktail!

If you’re looking for more cocktail recipes, we can help you out there

We have lots and lots of cocktail recipes on this site, and we’re also always updating things with even more recipes for you to enjoy. In the mean time, take a look at some of the recipe types we think you’ll enjoy:

Top 10 Whiskey cocktail recipes: we’ll start with the Whiskey cocktails we like the most. Take a look!

All Scotch Whiskey cocktail recipes: if you’re really only interest in Scotch Whiskey, take a look at our Scotch Whiskey section. Scotch isn’t quite as common in cocktails, but there are still a few recipes out there!

Top 15 easy cocktail recipes: we also have a section of the site with the easy cocktail recipes we like the best. These recipes have three ingredients or fewer and they’re super easy to make.

All easy cocktail recipes: if you’re digging the easy cocktails, take a look at all the recipes we have that are easy to make.