Improved Whiskey Cocktail

If you like an Old Fashioned but want something a little bit more, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail is for you. How is it "improved?" Well, you're essentially making an Old Fashioned with a few more ingredients thrown in. This creates a cocktail with tons of flavour that's a whole lot of fun.

Nothing is overpowering in this drink, but there are a lot of different flavours. The two varieties of Bitters (Peychaud's and Angostura) are warranted for even further flavour and interest, so be sure add both of them.

That being said, this is still an easy cocktail to make and a good excuse to break out a few bottles you don't use often. You won't be disapointed by this cocktail.

Total Time 5

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

60 mL Bourbon Rye works too.
10 mL Maraschino Liqueur
10 mL Simple Syrup* or however much you usually like.
1 tsp Absinthe
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish with lemon peel

Instructions

Put Bourbon, Maraschino Liqueur, Simple Syrup, Absinthe, and both Bitters to a mixing glass with filled with ice. Stir until the drink is cold.
Strain into a Rocks glass with one large ice cube. Alternatively place a few smaller ice cubes in the glass.
Rub the lemon peel garnish on rim of the glass then tuck the peel into the drink.
Enjoy.

Notes

*To make your own, see our Simple Syrup recipe.

Although there are a few ingredients in this drink, still ensure you use a good Whiskey for the best results. You don't want the Bourbon to get lost behind the other ingredients.

You may find other cocktail recipes that get marked as "improved." Improved cocktails often have more ingredients (particularly European ingredients) than the basic ingredients (the "standard" Whiskey Cocktail being the Old Fashioned). Further improvements may come from simple flourishes like rubbing the edge of the glass with citrus. Because of this, make sure you do the little things when making this cocktail, it really makes a difference.

Our Review of the Improved Whiskey Cocktail

What’s the difference between the Improved Whiskey Cocktail and a Sazerac? This may sound like the set up for a joke, but it’s not. They’re pretty similar cocktails. The biggest difference between the two is that the Sazerac uses Rye and Cognac (sometimes just Rye, sometimes just Cognac), while the Improved Whiskey Cocktail is made with Bourbon and Maraschino Liqueur. Sure, there are some other differences in the measurement of various ingredients, but it creates a similar taste profile. And of course Bourbon and Rye taste different, but they’re both Whiskeys. So again, similar taste profiles.

So the first thing to say about the Improved Whiskey Cocktail is that if you like a Sazerac, you’ll probably like this one as well. Both of these cocktails are expansions on the wonderful simplicity of the Old Fashioned. Although the Old Fashioned is great as its own cocktail, it’s almost too simple (in my humble opinion at least). Yes, if you make an Old Fashioned with a great Whiskey, it’s a marvelous cocktail, thanks to the additional ingredients helping to bring out the already great flavours.

For an Improved Whiskey Cocktail, you still need a great Whiskey (this is the case for all cocktails), but there’s enough other stuff in there to hide behind if you want something like an Old Fashioned but don’t quite have a nice enough Whiskey.

For me, it’s the Maraschino Liqueur. It adds some additional sweetness that’s well combatted by the Absinthe, effectively neutralising the cocktail into something that isn’t too dry, isn’t too sweet, and with plenty of different flavours. That’s not even mention the bitters that not only add their own flavours but also add some of their own.

For me, beyond the Sazerac, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail is a great gateway cocktail. There are enough ingredients in it that makes it feel like you’re actually “doing something” when making it, and it’s a good excuse to grow your home bar, especially an initial collection of bitters. Once you’re making Improved Whiskey Cocktails, you’ll be hooked and never go back to having regular drinks again.

Sure, the Improved Whiskey Cocktail may be something you grow out of as you build your own menu of favourites, but it’s also a recipe that you’ll likely come back to time and time again when you want something easy to make but also know you’ll enjoy. This one goes down in cocktail history.

10/10

Review by Emily

Looking for more Bourbon or Whiskey cocktails?

We have plenty of cocktail recipes on this website. Below we’ll point you the direction of where to find more Bourbon cocktail recipes or just general Whiskey cocktail recipes:

All Bourbon cocktail recipes: if you just want another Bourbon cocktail, see everything we’ve got here.

All Whiskey cocktail recipes: or if you want to change from Bourbon to another type of Whiskey, check out what you can make in this archive.

Top 20 classic cocktail recipes: the Improved Whiskey Cocktail is a classic, check out some of our other favourites.

All classic cocktail recipes: if you are after some more classic cocktails, see the archive for even more recipes.