Knock back a few Whiskey Ginger cocktails and you’ll fall in love with its refreshing simplicity.
Nothing beats a classic, simple two-ingredient cocktail. No muss, no fuss and usually not a lot of cleanup involved. Grab a spirit and a mixer and you’re good to go. I tend to enjoy the process of prepping and making drinks, but sometimes you just want a fast, easy and tasty tipple. The drink we’re making tonight, the Whiskey Ginger, is an amazing and memorable example of simplicity at its finest.
A variant of the classic highball cocktail, which is traditionally your spirit of choice topped with club soda, this take on that old standard which has been around since the 1800s, swaps out the flavorless soda for a spiced and robust ginger ale. My first experience with this beverage was when I lived in New York City. I was dating an Irish girl and she loved ordering Jameson & Gingers when we’d go out, which is a very brand-specific way to drink these. Any whiskey will do, honestly, but we’ll get to that later.
One night in particular, this Irish lass and I had gone to her local watering hole somewhere deep in Jackson Heights, Queens. There was a large population of Irish immigrants in this borough, and the bar we went to felt as though the whole place had come over from the Emerald Isle. I was drinking Whiskey Gingers the whole night, trying to go toe-to-toe and cocktail-to-cocktail with my date. It turned out to be a fool’s errand. Remember when we’re introduced to Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and she drinks that massive Australian under the table? It was kinda like that.
At some point, I had lost track of how many cocktails I drank. I think some weird Red Bull shots were involved too. It’s all a little fuzzy to be honest. The end of the night ended with an incredibly forceful SLAM across the back of my head. I thought I was being attacked but it turns out I fell over backwards and that impact I felt was the floor. My next waking moment involved me coming to in a taxi in front of my Brooklyn apartment and realizing I didn’t have the money to pay for the ride. So the cabbie took my phone as collateral. A few hours later while I was hungover at work, I used a buddy’s smartphone to call mine and I was able to meet the driver, pay double for the previous night’s ride and get my phone back. Looking back, it could’ve been a lot worse.
As good as Whiskey and Gingers are, having too many will lead to interesting times. I prefer my drinking experiences to be a little more laid back, so just one for me, please.
What is the Best Whiskey to Use in a Whiskey Ginger?
When it comes to whiskey, there’s a whole world of it out there. I mentioned an Irish whiskey earlier, but there are also other great varieties as well that’ll mix up nicely. Japanese whisky for example, which leans a little toward scotch in terms of flavor, rolls beautifully across the tongue when paired with a Fever Tree ginger ale. Any brand of the soda will do, but Fever Tree is my favorite. Try some the next time you make this drink for yourself, and you’ll swear by it too.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces whiskey
- 5 ounces ginger ale
- 1 lime wedge
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients.
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Pour the whiskey into the glass.
- Top with ginger ale.
- Squeeze a lime wedge over the drink and drop it in.
- Stir gently to combine.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
A highball glass is the ideal way to imbibe a highball-style cocktail such as this one. Fill with ice and place a lime wedge or wheel on the rim after adding your boozy beverage to it.
No. With only two ingredients, one of them carbonated, saving this drink for later will cause it to go flat and lose much of its character and texture. These are best enjoyed right away.
At 160 calories, a standard Whiskey Ginger isn’t too heavy. But having a few too many isn’t a great idea, so be mindful.
This drink is very close to a Whiskey Ginger. Just add some lime juice and you’ve got yourself a Buck.
Similar Cocktails to a Whiskey Ginger
Do you like your adult beverages to be strong, yet simple? Maybe you lead a busy life, or just don’t have the patience for all that shaking and stirring. If the Whiskey Ginger is your kind of cocktail, then you’ll be pleased to know that there’s a number of easy recipes that’ll take no time at all to whip up. Twist & Toast has some of the best right here on this site, so you don’t need to look very far.
- Tequila & Lemonade – This drink is made with tequila and lemonade, so it’s not just a clever name.
- Vodka Soda – Vodka, club soda and a little twist of lemon make for a crisp and refreshing tipple.
- 7 & 7 – Seagram’s 7 whiskey and 7-Up combine to make this classic tough guy dram.
- Rum & Coke – All you need to make a perfect Rum & Coke is rum and coke.
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