4 Cocktails That Will Make You Fall In Love With Whisky

Let's say hello to whisky fall.

Hi, I'm Kyle. I'm a BuzzFeed and Tasty producer, and I loooooove whisky.

Kyle Richmond/BuzzFeed

My preferred method of consumption is neat, on the rocks, or in an Old-Fashioned. But this time around, I wanted to give some new whisky cocktails a chance, because I'm all about equal opportunity.

For this post, the LCBO provided me with four different whisky-based cocktails to try.

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They were all developed by local Ontario bartenders using all-Canadian whiskies.

First up, the "Twenty-Mile Mule" developed by Christina Veira, a certified beverage & hospitality expert and spirits expert.

Mark Burstyn/LCBO

Here's what you'll need to make this cocktail:

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2 ounces Canadian whisky

¼ cup (60 ml) chopped in-season fruit, such as plums, grapes, apples, peaches and/or berries, preferably a mix

1 or 2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as sage or thyme

½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces ginger beer

1 ounce soda

3 dashes bitters

Plum slices, for garnish

Add fruit and herbs to 2-cup (500 mL) Mason jar. Pour whisky overtop. Seal and shake. Refrigerate until flavours infuse, 3 to 4 hours. Stir in lemon juice. Top with ginger beer and soda. Add bitters. Stir to mix. Garnish with fanned plum slices.

Makes 1 cocktail.

The verdict: A delicious, transitional drink between summer and fall.

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This drink is TASTY! The flavours of the cocktail are very mild and pleasant, especially considering it has two ounces of whisky in it. There's a subtle taste of whisky but it's not overpowering. There's definitely hints of plum. And if you add a sprig of thyme as garnish, it really gives it a more earthy and natural aroma. I actually forgot to add the bitters before my first sip and realized it really added a subtle kick. So don’t sleep on the bitters.

Hot tip: Control the sweetness of the drink by macerating the fruit. Use it it right away, or let it sit and macerate over 48 hours for a sweeter taste.

If you can't find any ripe plums, your local grocery store has lots of in-season, local produce to use in place of the plums.

Suggested whisky: Alberta Premium Whisky

Score: 10/10 — For sure would make it again.

Next up, "Honey Club" developed by Meghan Krys from Barkeep in Thunder Bay.

LCBO

Here's what you'll need to make this cocktail:

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1½ ounces Canadian whisky

½ ounce orange liqueur

¼ ounce Licor 43

¾ ounce pear juice

½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 bar spoon or teaspoon (5 ml) Ontario wildflower honey

Edible wildflower or strip lemon peel, for garnish

Ontario pear slice, for garnish (optional)

Pour whisky, orange liqueur, Licor 43, pear and lemon juices, and honey into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a Nick and Nora or coupe glass. Garnish with wildflower and pear slice.

Substitution tip: If you can’t get your hands on Licor 43, swap for ¼ ounce Galliano plus a dash of Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6.

Makes 1 cocktail.

The verdict: A lightly sweet pear extravaganza.

Kyle Richmond/Buzzfeed

This one is pretty tasty too! The flavours are mellow and well balanced, making it a delicious anytime cocktail.

This feels like something you could sip on during a brisk fall day while you dream of warmer weather. I couldn't find pear juice so I opted for pear nectar instead. To avoid making the cocktail too thick, add a splash of water to the nectar. The pear juice gives it this sort of vanilla flavour that really balances everything out nicely.

Hot tip: You can obviously control the sugar content here with more or less pear juice or nectar. I didn't have wildflower honey, so I just used regular honey. Of course, we need to support the local economy right now; so source local honey and local pears, and it will taste extra special, promise.

I wasn't really sure what a coupe glass was. (The internet tells me it has a stem on it so that you don't warm up a shaken or stirred cocktail with your hand.) So I just used a regular drinking glass. I doubled the recipe for the photo so it would fill up to the top of the glass.

Suggested whisky: Canadian Club

Score: 9/10 — It took a bit of effort to prepare, but I would for sure make it again.

Our third is "Lost Passport" developed by Alex Pearce from Superfly in Toronto.

Mark Burstyn/LCBO

Here's what you'll need to make this cocktail:

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1½ ounces Canadian rye whisky

4 ounces Ontario IPA beer

3 to 4 sage leaves

¼ ounce Sumac Syrup (see recipe below)

¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Add 1 sage leaf to a tall glass, such as a collins. Gently muddle. Fill glass with ice. Add rye, syrup, and lemon juice. Top with beer. Stir to mix. Garnish with remaining sage leaves.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Sumac Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon sumac spice

Stir together sugar, water, and sumac in a small pan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium low. Gently simmer, allowing flavours to infuse, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool completely. Fine-strain. Syrup will keep well, stored in a resealable container in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 1 cup.

The verdict: My mind is blown and I am in love.

Kyle Richmond/BuzzFeed

I love beer. So when I heard we would be making this beer and whisky-based cocktail, I was a little perplexed. But my friends, let me tell you: This thing is amazing. I don't drink IPAs but when it's mixed with simple syrup, lemon juice, and sage, I'm converted. The syrup takes the bitterness out of the IPA and makes it smooth, similar to a lager. The addition of the whisky and the lemon juice gives it a kick and takes it over the top. Have I mentioned I'm in love?

Hot tip: Surprise, surprise. I have no idea what sumac is (and you're probably thinking...he's a Tasty producer?) So I opted to just make my drink with a regular, simple syrup. And you can too! Also if sage isn't something you have lying around, you could probably opt out of it. But don't tell Alex I told you that.

Suggested whisky: Lot No. 40 Single Copper Pot Still Canadian Whisky

Score: 10/10 — This will be a new seasonal favourite.

And finally, this is the "Autumn Sangria" developed by Maleeha Ghani from Black Dog Tavern in Kingston.

Here's what you'll need to make this cocktail:

Kyle Richmond / BuzzFeed

1 ounce Canadian whisky

4 ounces Ontario dry red wine

3 ounces apple juice

Ginger ale

Local red and green grapes, for garnish

Pour whisky into an ice-filled wine glass. Add wine and apple juice. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with a skewer of red and green grapes.

Makes 1 cocktail.

The verdict: I didn't know Autumn Sangria was a thing, but I'm here for it.

Kyle Richmond/BuzzFeed

I don’t want to sound like a broken record but this is delicious! Obviously when you think of sangria, you think of summer; but with the addition of the whisky and the red wine, this drink really develops a nice and crisp fall flavour. Considering this has apple juice and ginger ale, it's still not that sweet. I also would have never thought of adding whisky to a sangria, but you learn something new every day.

Hot tip: The recipe doesn't call for ice and maybe it was supposed to be enjoyed at room temperature, but I added it. However, do whatever you think is right!

Suggested whisky: Seagram’s VO

Score: 9/10 — I'm not a big sangria drinker, but I would make an exception for this.

Whether you're a whisky connoisseur or just dipping your toes, this month the LCBO has a whisky perfect for you! Come in or explore lcbo.com today.