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Whiskey Ginger Cocktail

Easy to craft with whiskey and ginger ale, the Whiskey Ginger cocktail isn’t just a great drink to enjoy on St. Patrick’s day. It’s a great drink to enjoy all year long.

Jameson Ginger Whiskey from Above
Image: ©2foodtrippers

We don’t know why combining whiskey and ginger ale and adding lime juice tastes good. It just does.

Technically an Irish Buck, the Whiskey Ginger is a cocktail that we often forget about between drinking sessions. Luckily, St. Patrick’s Day happens every March 17th which reminds us to craft cocktails with whiskey and ginger ale each spring.

Sure, we could drink pints filled with foamy Guinness or artificially-colored green beer instead but we’d much rather whip up Whiskey Gingers in just five minutes and sip them through metal straws. To us, it’s the classier, tastier St. Patrick’s Day drink option.

What Makes The Whiskey Ginger Special?

Jameson Whiskey Ginger on Step
Spring time is a great time to drink Whiskey Ginger cocktails. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

We use Jameson Whiskey in our Whiskey Ginger in our Whiskey Ginger recipe. Despite its global popularity, the moderately-priced, triple-distilled whiskey is produced in Ireland with local barley and water sourced from the Dungourney River.

Jameson whiskey matures for at least four years in oak casks previously used to age Kentucky bourbon and Spanish sherry. Due to this maturation process and its triple distillation, Jameson’s whiskey has a particularly smooth finish that works well in this recipe.

History Of Jameson

Jameson Tour 2016
Jameson has been producing whiskey in Ireland for more than two centuries. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Originally operating as Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, Jameson’s history dates back to 1780. Named after owner John Jameson, the whiskey is a true ‘grain to glass’ product made with both malted and unmalted barley as well as French maize and Irish water.

A family enterprise for two centuries, Jameson distilled millions of gallons of whiskey in Dublin before moving the production operations to County Cork in the 1970s.

We learned about Jameson’s rich history and its production process during a Dublin distillery tour in 2016. Simultaneously informative and touristic, the experience ended with a Jameson whiskey tasting and glasses of Jameson Whiskey Ginger.

Book a tour and tasting at Jameson’s original distillery in Dublin.

Ingredients

Jameson WJameson Whiskey Ginger Mise en Placehiskey Ginger Mise en Place
The ingredients for crafting a Whiskey Ginger include whiskey, ginger ale and lime. All that’s missing from this photo is the ice. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The ingredient list for crafting a Whiskey Ginger is ridiculously short with just the following ingredients:

  • Whiskey
  • Ginger Ale
  • Lime Wedges
  • Ice Cubes

We consider the Whiskey Ginger to be a three-ingredient cocktail. However, you can call it a four-ingredient cocktail if you insist on counting ice as an ingredient.

Jameson Whiskey
Whiskey is the only liquor required in our Whiskey Ginger recipe. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Jameson is the only liquor that we use in our Whiskey Ginger cocktail recipe. It has an 40% ABV and is easily the most popular Irish whiskey.

You should be able to find Jameson at your local liquor store since owner Pernod Ricard distributes it around the world. However, you can use another whiskey if you have a favorite bottle in your cabinet.

How To Craft A Whiskey Ginger Cocktail

Jameson Whiskey Ginger by Tree
We were outside drinking this Whiskey Ginger cocktail just minutes after we started crafting the whiskey drink. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

Crafting a Whiskey Ginger is as simple as measuring, pouring and stirring ginger ale and whiskey in a three-to-one ratio.

The first step is to measure the whiskey and ginger ale. We like to use a jigger to measure the whiskey and an angled measuring cup to measure the ginger ale.

Buy a Japanese jigger from Amazon if you need a jigger or want an inexpensive upgrade. That’s what we did.

Pouring Jameson Whiskey
Step 1 – Measuring the Liquids | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The second step is to pour the liquids into a highball glass and squeeze fresh lime juice from a lime wedge.

Pouring Jameson into a Jameson Whiskey Ginger
Step 2 – Pouring the Liquids | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The third step is to gently stir the drink. We use a bar spoon but any long spoon should work.

Stirring a Jameson Whiskey Ginger
Step 3 – Pouring the Liquids | Image: ©2foodtrippers

The final steps involve adding ice and a fresh lime wedge as garnish.

Crafted Jameson Whiskey Ginger
Final Step – Sipping and Enjoying | Image: ©2foodtrippers

All that’s left is to sip and enjoy.

Variations

Jameson Whiskey Ginger Ingredients
We crafted our Whiskey Ginger cocktail following a classic cocktail recipe. How you craft yours is up to you. | Image: ©2foodtrippers

While we like to craft cocktails with whiskey, ginger ale and lime, you may want to mix things up (pun intended). Here are a few ideas to spark your creativity:

  • Use sugar free ginger ale if you want to reduce the cocktail’s calories.
  • Keep your cocktail neat by omitting both ginger ale and lime juice.
  • Replace the ginger ale with ginger beer to craft an Irish Mule cocktail.
  • Replace the lime juice and ginger ale with lemon juice and simple syrup to craft a Whiskey Lemonade cocktail.
  • Replace the whiskey and ginger ale with dark rum and ginger beer to craft a Dark and Stormy cocktail.

Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Whiskey Ginger?

The Whiskey Ginger is an Irish Buck crafted with whiskey and ginger ale.

What are the ingredients in a Whiskey Ginger?

Whiskey, Ginger Ale, Ice Cubes and Lime Wedges

What’s the best whiskey to use in a Whiskey Ginger?

Using Irish whiskey is the way to go when crafting a Whiskey Ginger. We like to use Jameson Irish Whiskey but you can use your favorite bottle.

Is the Whiskey Ginger shaken or stirred?

The Whiskey Ginger is stirred, not shaken.

What type of glass is best for the Whiskey Ginger?

We use a highball class when we craft this cocktail but you can use a lowball glass instead.

Did you craft this cocktail? If so, please rate the recipe below.

Jameson Ginger Whiskey from Above
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Whiskey Ginger Recipe

The Whiskey Ginger cocktail is an ideal drink for St. Patrick's Day but you'll want to drink it all year long.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drink
Cuisine: Cocktail
Servings: 1
Calories: 231kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces whiskey
  • 6 ounces ginger ale
  • 2 lime wedges
  • ice cubes

Instructions

  • Pour whiskey and ginger ale into a highball glass.
  • Squeeze the juice from one lime wedge into the glass.
  • Gently stir.
  • Add ice cubes to fill the glass to your desired level.
  • Squeeze juice from the other lime wedge into the glass before dropping the wedge into the glass.

Pro Tips

  • We use Jameson in our recipe but you can use your favorite whiskey.
  • We recommend using a highball glass. However, you can adjust the ingredient sizes if you want to serve this drink in a smaller glass.
  • You can use low sugar or sugar free ginger ale if you want to reduce the cocktail’s calories.

Estimated Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 16mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g
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About The Authors

About The Authors

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch

Saveur Magazine’s BEST TRAVEL BLOG award winners Daryl and Mindi Hirsch share their culinary travel experiences and recipes on the 2foodtrippers website. Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers their unique taste of the world.

Disclosures

Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.

Funding
We purchased the ingredients and tools used to craft this cocktail.

Original Publication Date: March 11, 2021

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