10 Whiskey Drinks That Will Become Your New Go-To Cocktails

Because there's a wide world beyond your knee-jerk college drink orders (ahem, whiskey sours and whiskey gingers), it's a better time than ever to study up on these 10 whiskey cocktails that you can easily taste-test at home. Plus, they're just as delicious as your faithful bar favorites, so why not?

1. Basil Bourbon Mule

A refreshing cocktail with a ginger-lemon taste.

Ingredients:

4 Basil Leaves

2 oz. Bourbon

6 oz. Q Ginger Beer

Lemon Twist

Directions:

Pour bourbon into a muddler and add 4 basil leaves. Gently muddle basil.

2. BourBonBon

Two ingredients plus ice? We'll take that.

Ingredients:

6 oz. Vanilla Bean Dry Sparkling Beverage (can substitute other sparkling water)

1/2 oz. Bourbon

Ice

Directions:

Simply mix all ingredients in a highball glass. Optional: Garnish with a lime or orange slice.

3. Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade

Mason jar drinks are the best kind of summer drinks.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Bourbon

3/4 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice

3/4 oz. Simple Syrup

1/2 oz. Blackberry Puree

1 Cardamom Pod

Sparkling Wine

Lemon Wheel and Fresh Blackberry, for garnish

Directions:

Muddle the cardamom in a mixing glass, then add bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and blackberry puree. Add ice, and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a collins glass or mason jar filled with ice, and top with a dry sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon wheel and a fresh blackberry.

04. The Staci 

Because mint maketh a superb summer cocktail.

Ingredients:

4 oz. Rainier Cherry Dry Sparkling Beverage (can substitute other cherry sparkling water)

11/2 oz. Bourbon

1/4 Small Lemon

Mint, for garnish

Directions:

Muddle mint and lemon in a cocktail shaker. Add bourbon and shake. Pour into a decorative glass with ice. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

5. Pass the Tabu

It's hard to resist a drink served in an actual pineapple hull, right?

Ingredients:

3 oz. Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Select

1 oz. House-made Orgeat

1 oz. Velvet Falernum

.5 oz. Ray & Nephew Overproof Rum

1.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. Pour into pineapple shell. Serve with a flaming lime and several tall straws for sharing

6. Some Beach 

An OJ-based cocktail that's a perfect sub for mimosas after brunch hours.

Ingredients:

11/2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon

1/2 oz. Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

3/4 oz. Orange Juice

Rainier Cherry Dry Sparkling Beverage (or Club Soda) to top

Ice

Directions:

Add bourbon, orange juice, and vermouth to an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake it up. Strain into a coupe glass. Top with Rainier Cherry DRY or club soda and garnish with half a fresh cherry.

7. Summer in Siam

A quintessential Southern cocktail with extra chill.

Ingredients:

.75 oz. Simple Syrup

2 oz. Pogues Irish Whiskey

Ice

5-7 mint leaves

Directions:

In a metal julep cup, muddle the mint leaves gently. Then add simply syrup, whiskey, and stir in crushed ice. Top with crushed ice and 3 mint tops like a bouquet.

8. Blackberry Sun Tea

Sipping this on a porch swing, recommended.

Ingredients:

3 oz. Sparkling Ice Peach Iced Tea (or substitute peach iced tea)

1.5 oz. Bourbon

1 oz. St Germain

5 blackberries

Directions:

Muddle blackberries in shaker. Add ice, whiskey and St. Germain. Shake and pour (do not strain) into highball glass. Top with peach iced tea.

9. Black Cherry Smash 

An instance when nutmegs works for non-wintery cocktails, too.

Ingredients:

3 oz Bai Bubbles Bolivia Black Cherry

Juice of 1 Lime

1oz. Bourbon

Dash of Nutmeg

Skewered Bing Black Cherries

Ice

Directions:

Place a block of ice in a rocks glass with a dash of nutmeg. Squeeze lime juice and pour Bolivia Black Cherry and bourbon to fill. Sprinkle nutmeg on top and garnish with skewered bing black cherries.

10. Nashville Red Eye

The only thing that's better than a cold brew in summer is...a boozy cold brew.

Ingredients:

1 oz Jack Single Barrel Rye

1 oz Cold Brew Coffee

½ oz Raw Simple Syrup

4 oz Oatmeal Stout

Coffee Beans, for Garnish

Directions:

Shake first 3 ingredients with ice for 10 seconds to combine and chill. Strain into chilled Snifter already containing the 4 oz of stout. Float coffee beans on top of foam.