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How To Drink Whiskey
Drinking whiskey has been a long-time favorite of many individuals since its beginnings. For centuries, people have been enjoying a few shots of whiskey whenever their mood calls for it. If you have not drunk whiskey before, now would be the best time for you to join in the fun community. Since we are stuck at home due to COVID quarantine, now is the perfect time for a dram or two!
Enjoying whiskey is an extraordinary activity. You can catch up with your loved ones over whiskey, or befriend strangers at the bars over a few shots of whiskey. You can drink whiskey by itself without ice, or you can mix it to make a cocktail, or you can even produce a cocktail and extract the drink into a ball of ice.
However, if this is your first-ever experience with whiskey and had faced difficulties integrating into a whiskey conversation, fret not – this article will help you understand everything you need to know to begin drinking whiskey. If you feel like taking a shot after reading this article, suntory whisky singapore might just be the drink for you.
What is whiskey?
If you are a regular whiskey drinker, you most likely will not need to read this section about what is whiskey. You might even be holding a tumbler while reading this article. However, knowing the whiskey world in-depth will definitely help to increase your level of enjoyment when drinking whiskey. Therefore, let’s understand what exactly is whiskey before we take our first sip.
Long story short, whiskey is a refined spirit originated from grain. To get to the distillation temperature, a distiller is used to grind the grain to extract the natural sugars within the grains. These sugars will then be fermented into alcohol, then refined to produce a more powerful spirit during the distillation. There are many different types of grain one can use to make whiskies, including corn, rye, wheat, barley (can be malted or not), millet, and quinoa. The first four grains mentioned in the previous sentence are the main ones used to make whiskies worldwide. Once grinded, fermented, and distilled, the alcohol gets to rest in a barrel, which adds to the whiskey’s taste and look.
How should one drink whiskey?
1. Drinking whiskey neat
When you are drinking whiskey, do not immediately add ice into the drink out of habit. Although many whiskeys’ tastes are augmented with ice, you should try drinking whiskey neat (without ice) at least once.
I usually order a whiskey neat whenever I go out and he urges you to try whiskey without ice, especially if you are a sucker for the alcohol taste. However, should you dislike your whiskey neat, it is totally cool. As whiskey contains a relatively high alcohol content, ranging from 40% to 43% by volume, and has adventurous tastes, a glass of whiskey can knock one out, just like a slap to the face. Instead of a slap to the face, why not experience a soft hug instead? You can do so by adding water to your whiskey.
2. Adding water into whiskey
If you are an amateur in the whiskey world, you might not know how much difference a few drops of water makes to a whiskey. Many would think – how much difference can a drop of water make to the whiskey right?
However, a little water might actually enhance the overall whiskey drinking experience. The water releases the hydrophobic substances in the alcohol, allowing you the taster to discover more hidden scents. Furthermore, as adding water reduces the overall alcohol content, it will allow your tastebuds to work better and detect more flavors. The simplest way is to get a glass of water and a straw. Add just one drop of water into your whiskey, swirl your glass, sip once and repeat these steps until you find your own sweet spot regarding the flavor that you want. The more water you add, the less concentrated your whiskey will be, which is similar to adding ice to the whiskey without the cold factor.
3. Whiskey on the rocks?
Although ordering a whiskey “on the rocks” sounds really cool, it may not be the taste you are looking for. Ice actually makes your taste buds insensitive, resulting in flat flavors. However, it is perfectly fine if you want a cold whiskey on occasion.
Regarding the size of the ice cube to add, we recommend big ice cubes of 1.5 inches to two inches or an ice ball. Tiny blocks of ice tend to melt faster, which will dilute your whiskey within a shorter period of time. If you want a chilled whiskey without the dilution part, you can add in cold whiskey stones.
Whiskey cocktails
If you do not enjoy the pure taste of whiskey or if you are seeking different ways to drink whiskey, we recommend the classic cocktail. Try rye whiskey bases because of their dominance. They are able to retain the original taste in the concoction.
If you are also bored with a classic cocktail, you can try these other tried-and-tested mixtures to spice up your whiskey journey.
How to prepare a whiskey sour?
Add all ingredients, except the ice, into a shaker tin. Shake the tin dry for 10 to 15 seconds. After this, add ice and shake again. Double strain the mixture into a chilled glass. Add the cherry for the final aesthetic touch.
Whiskey Sour
2 oz bourbon
1 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
Cherry for decoration purposes
How to prepare a Manhattan?
Add the liquidated ingredients with ice and stir them. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and add the cherry for the final aesthetic touch.
Manhattan
2 oz rye whiskey
0.5 oz sweet vermouth
1 to 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Cherry for decoration purposes
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should explore the different combinations and discover what you like most. The main advice we have for all whiskey drinkers is to experiment and find out what is best for your taste buds. Do not let anyone else dictate how you should enjoy your whiskey.
