Whiskey Ginger: A Cocktail for All Seasons
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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.
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.
And the best part? Whiskey Gingers taste great all year long.
What Makes the Whiskey Ginger Special?
Jameson Whiskey is this Whiskey Ginger recipe’s main ingredient. 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
Originally operating as Bow Street Distillery in Dublin, the distillery’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
The ingredient list for crafting a Whiskey Ginger is ridiculously short with just the following ingredients:
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.
Ingredient quantities are detailed in the printable recipe card below.
How to Craft a Whiskey Ginger Cocktail
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.
The second step is to pour the liquids into a highball glass and squeeze fresh lime juice from a lime wedge.
The third step is to gently stir the drink. We use a bar spoon but any long spoon should work.
The final steps involve adding ice and a fresh lime wedge as garnish.
All that’s left is to sip and enjoy.
Variations
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:
Discover 10 essential bar tools for the home mixologist.
Whiskey Ginger Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces whiskey
- 6 ounces ginger ale
- 2 lime wedges
- ice cubes
Equipment
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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
The Whiskey Ginger is an Irish Buck crafted with whiskey and ginger ale.
Whiskey, Ginger Ale, Ice Cubes and Lime Wedges
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.
The Whiskey Ginger is stirred, not shaken.
We use a highball glass when we craft this cocktail but you can use a lowball glass instead.
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