4 Easy Ways to Enjoy a Premium Bottle of Scotch!

Hi, Friends of Cocktails! So you’ve got that expensive bottle sitting on the shelf for a special ocassion… but now you’re afraid to open it? Then you’re in the right place! In fact I get this question all the time, because people don’t want to ‘waste’ a luxury bottle in cocktails, or they only take it out for very special occasions. But the whole point of spirits like this is to enjoy them, not to let them gather dust.

Life is short, so instead of waiting for a special occasion, we’ll make opening that fancy bottle the special occasion. So after you finally decide to do that, I’ll give you four simple, elegant ways to enjoy it, then I’ll show you something you haven’t seen before. But first let’s start with the best way to enjoy an expensive bottle by drinking it neat.

In my case today I’ll go with a bottle of Chivas Regal 18, but almost all of the same tips work for other spirits, and even wine.So first, I recommend you look for a comfortable setting where you can relax, because it’s Cocktail Time!

Option #1: Drinking it Neat

When you taste whisky neat, you really get to know its character. It shows you what the spirit is all about, and it gives you a feel for how it could work in cocktails. For full transparency, I’m not a spirit sommelier, but this is how I do it: start by taking a look at the color, and tilt the glas a bit to see how the light changes it.

The color of a spirit can tell you a lot about it, like it’s age or the types of barrels used to finish it, so it’s a great starting point. Next I go for the aroma, and here it helps to smell with your mouth slightly open. It brings in more air and makes it easier to pick out different layers. After a few more breaths, it’s time to take a small sip.

Let the spirit move around your whole mouth, feel the texture and how it coats everything, then swallow and breathe out–that’s when a lot of the aroma comes back. I like to do this once or twice more beforeI focus on the aftertaste, including how long it stays and what kind of notes it brings. Another way to bring out the flavor is to add in a few drops of water.

By adding just a little bit of water that’s enough to lower the alcohol strength and open things up. You can seee now how the smell changes, as some aromas will get softer, and some show up more clearly. The change is similar when you sip it, and after you’ve done all that, don’t forget the most important part: take your time to really enjoy it.

Some people also like their whisky on the rocks. That’s fine, but just know that ice cools the spirit down, and that can hide some of the flavors, but if that’s your favorite way to drink it, enjoy it that way. Speaking of special occasions, we have one today: we’re adding a new name to our Wall of Fame! Thank you, Elisa Calvo, for joining our top tier on Patreon.

Quick tip, if you need a last-minute gift idea: you can give a Cocktail Time Patreon membership to someone that loves cocktails. On to one of my favorite ways to enjoy whisky with a simple highball, perfect for when you want something lighter. Don’t be afraid to add soda to your whisky, as only a good whisky makes a good highball–remember that.

Option #2: Scotch Highball

● 60mL · 2oz Scotch

● 120mL · 4oz Soda Water

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

Citrus Peel Coin Garnish

Cold is key with this one, as that keeps the bubbles in. So start with a chilled glass and quality ice. I like a two-to-one ratio of soda to whisky–and if this becomes your favorite way to enjoy whisky, you can even keep the bottle in the fridge for extra-cold highballs. I also add saline solution to boost the flavors, just like in cooking. Now pour the soda gently so you don’t lose the bubbles.

If you want to be precise with how much soda you add, you can also use a kitchen scale to build the cocktail. Then one small stir is enough to combine the ingredients, and for garnish I like a small circle of citrus peel. Lemon is usually my go-to, but you can go with orange, grapefruit or even tangerine, for a more festive feel.

Some people like to top their whisky with still water instead. That’s fine too, but I like the bubbles to lifet everything and keep it refreshing. If you want something a bit richer, an Old Fashioned is a great way to enjoy a good whisky too, and this Chivas Regal 18 will definitely make for a great one!

Option #3: Scotch Old Fashioned

● 60mL · 2oz Scotch

● 2 barspoons Simple Syrup

● 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

Orange Peel Garnish

The Old Fashioned comes from a time when whisky was rougher, so people added sugar, bitters, and a little water to smooth it out. With good whisky today, I’m not hiding anything, instead we’ll create a balanced cocktail that lets the spirit shine by adding aromatic bitters, a little rich syrup, and a bit of saline.

Stir with plenty of ice in a mixing glass, then strain into a chilled rocks glass with a nice piece of clear ice. The classic garnish is to express the essential oils from an orange peel over the cocktail and place it in, but today I got something special: Witch Blood by TAVMA. This is a cocktail perfume made in small batches that adds aroma to your drink without changing the balance or sweetness.

A light spray sits on top of the cocktail and stays with you for the whole drink, creating a bridge between mixology and perfumery. Witch Blood has warm notes of cinnamon, ginger, a maple-like sweetness, and a touch of smoke, so it fits perfectly with a festive whisky cocktail like this one. Using it is easy: shake the bottle, hold it away from the cocktail, then give it one or two light sprays–that’s all you need.

For bars and bartenders, this makes a lot of sense. One bottle lasts for a few hundred cocktails, and you don’t need to buy and waste oranges just for the peels. It saves time and money, and keeps your drinks consistent. If you want to try Witch Blood, or give it to someone as a gift, use the code KEVIN10 at tavma.co. Now let’s taste the Old Fashioned!

For the final, elevated cocktail, I wanted something that really feels like the holidays, and nothing says that more than panettone. So today I’ll make a Scotch classic with an Italian twist I’m calling ‘Roberto Roy’. It all starts with panettone whisky.

Panettone Scotch

● 400mL · 13.5oz Scotch

● 150mL · 5oz Neutral Oil

● 50g Dried Panettone

So first I need some oil and a good panettone. It can have many different aromas and flavors,so I went with one that is tiramisu flavored. The fat in the oil is what works as a bridge that carries all those flavors into our whisky, but first you need to dry the panettone. If you have leftovers from the holidays that’s perfect. If it’s fresh, you can let it dry out, or speed it up in the oven or a dehydrator.

Next, blend it with a neutral oil. I’m using sunflower oil, because it doesn’t bring much flavor on its own. Then I strain it through a paper towel cone in a Chemex, so a regular coffee filter might block the flow, so this works better. Here’s a fun detail: sugar doesn’t dissolve in oil. That means this won’t make our whisky sweet, we’re just pulling the flavors. So now we have what could be called panettone oil.

Mix that with our whisky in a sous-vide bag and seal it. Using a sous vide set to 55°C or 131°F for 2 hours will make the process of flavoring whisky faster and more controlled. After 2 hours, let it cool down, then put it in the freezer. As it chills, the fat sets on top and separates from the whisky. After a day it’s time to strain the whisky, this time using a coffee filter, and I like to keep the Chemex in the fridge for this, so the fat doesn’t melt back into the liquid.

After a few hours you’ll end up with panettone whisky. Unlike the Donut Old Fashioned, this doesn’t get cloudy when chilled, because we removed all of the fats. When you try it neat, it’s like you just took a bite of panettone. It’s crazy, but it’s even crazier when it’s used to make a Roberto Roy!

Option #4: The Roberto Roy,

● 60mL · 2oz Panettone Scotch

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Sweet Vermouth

● 2 dashes Orange Bitters

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

Fresh Panettone Slice Garnish

We’ll add the ingredients to a chilled mixing glass, then add ice and stir until it’s mixed, chilled and diluted. Strain it into a chilled stemmed glass, and for garnish I’ll add a small slice of fresh panettone… and of course a spray of Witch Blood by TAVMA. This cocktail is like a festive season in a glass!

I hope you have learned how to enjoy that special bottle, and I’m sure you’ll find ways to enjoy it this festive season. Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails!