A Guide to Mixing With Johnnie Walker: Exploring How to Make Traditional Cocktails with the Labels

Posted by The Liquor Shop Singapore on Feb 17, 2020

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When it comes to Scottish whisky, the simplest way to enjoy it is as a neat drink, with zero accompaniments. This gives you the opportunity to taste the complex, full-bodied aromas, that make up its distinct flavor profile. Pairing it with a splash of water will open up the taste profile and change it as the liquids combine. Drinking it with ice provides a refreshing experience, muting some flavors while enhancing others. But what makes a whisky, “excellent” is its ability to be versatile. Some may look at you odd, but mixing a blended whisky, is a fantastic way to taste scotch with a whole new taste profile. Those who enjoy Johnnie Walker’s blended whiskies are in for a real treat, as we explore how to make traditional cocktails with Johnnie Walker Labels in this guide to mixing with Johnnie Walker.

The Johnnie Walker Red Label – A Spark, Crackle, & Smoky Blend

The Johnnie Walker Red Label is one of the best-selling whiskies in the world due to its affordable selling price and full-bodied character. It is vibrant, golden, and amber in color, bringing notes of fresh fruit, sweet vanilla, crackling spices, and lingering smoky elements. When brought up to the nose, you’ll enjoy a spark of fresh zest but when you taste it, you’ll get an exotic combination of cinnamon and pepper. You’ll come away with a smoky finish if you hold it for long enough.

How to Mix It?

In a Rusty Nail which combines honeyed liqueur and scotch in a tumbler. Despite its name, the Rusty Nail is quite an easy-going and approachable cocktail for those who are new to mixing. All you need is 45ml of the Red Label and 15ml of Drambuie. You make it by adding these to an ice-filled mixing glass, then stir and serve it from a tumbler over ice cubes. Place your favorite brandied garnish on top.

A Johnnie Walker Ginger Ale is a basic cocktail that pleases both those who are new to cocktail mixes and those who are seasoned whisky drinkers. All you will need is a highball glass filled with ice, 50ml of Johnnie Walker Red Label, 150ml of ginger ale. Simply, fill your highball glass with ice, pour in your Johnnie Walker Red, add the ginger ale and stir. Then garnish with a line wedge and serve.

How about a whisky sour, another classic that is often ordered in bars but is a bit more complicated to make. You need a shaker with ice, 50ml of Johnnie Walker Red, 25ml of lemon juice, 17.5 ml of sugar syrup and an egg white. Place the ingredients into your shaker and shake very well until the shaker becomes cold to the touch. Strain the mix with a cocktail strainer into a short glass and garnish with lemon or a cherry.

The Johnnie Walker Green Label – Deep Wood Notes With Fresh Fruit

The Johnnie Walker Green Label is created in European oak casks, has a bold flavor and a very distinct balance between cut grass, deep sandalwood notes, vanilla, fresh fruit, and a mingling of pepper. When enjoyed as neat or with ice, you’ll pick up oak and cedar mixed with tropical and floral fragrances. Generally, this label is prepared as neat, with ice, or with a splash of water but can be enjoyed with a lighter mix.

How to Mix It?

Try it with a soda. You will need a tall glass, fill it with ice, and pour in 50ml of the Johnnie Walker Green Label. Then add in 125ml of soda and stir. You can garnish it with any type of fresh fruit, but we recommend orange or lime.

Try mixing it with green tea. Green tea generally has a stronger flavor note to it if steeped for long enough and it pairs well with the intense forest and field aromas of the Johnnie Walker Green. To mix this, grab a tall glass, fill it with ice and put 25ml of Johnnie Walker Green Label in. Stir it a bit and then add in 100ml of green tea. Garnish with lemon or lime.

The Johnnie Double Black Label – Layers of Spice & Tons of Peat Smoke

The Johnnie Double Black Label is intense, dark, and has extreme character. You are going to get a lot of peat smoke, rich raisins, apples, orange, pears, creamy vanilla, and layers of spice that are soft and sweet on the tongue. When you smell it, you’ll notice cloves and sweet smoke, but when you taste it, that’s when you’ll get the orange, vanilla, apple and raisin combination. It has a warming finish that is accompanied by a powerful and smoldering smokiness.

How to Mix It?

You can create the timeless classic of the Old Fashioned. For this, you will need 60ml of Johnnie Walker Double Black Label, 10ml of sugar syrup, and 2 dashes of aromatic bitters. Fill a mixing glass with ice and place all the ingredients inside. Stir it well and then serve it in a tumbler with ice cubes. Add a splash of orange zest over top and then garnish the glass with an orange peel or sprig of rosemary.

An iconic drink to mix with the Johnnie Walker Double Black Label is the Godfather. You need 42ml of Johnnie Walker Double Black, and 14ml of Amaretto. Grab a mixing glass, fill it with ice, and add these two ingredients in. Stir it and serve in a tumbler with ice. Can be served with a cherry garnish.

The Johnnie Walker Platinum Label – Rich & Refined

The Johnnie Walker Platinum Label is an extremely complex blend that delivers a rich and dark flavor. You are going to taste almonds, vanilla, tangerines, nuttiness, and stewed fruit. The initial taste will be sweet and warm, ending in a malty dryness with a nutty edge. The smokiness that lingers is a subtle charcoal which fades into a citrus zest.

How to Mix It?

Consider spicing it up with apple, ginger and lime. Grab a tall glass and add 30ml of the Johnnie Walker Platinum Label to it. Then add in 25ml of pressed green apple juice, 10ml of ginger liqueur and 10ml of lime juice. Then mix up 1-part orange bitters, 1-part angostura bitters, and 2-parts absinthe and dash a bit into the drink. You can garnish it with mint or an apple slice.

Go dark with chocolate and maple syrup. The Johnnie Walker Platinum Label Dark Side recipe is rich and brings out the bittersweet notes within the whisky. To mix this, grab a whisky tumbler, add half a spoonful of cocoa powder, and add in 5ml of maple syrup. This will create a paste in the bottom of your glass but is then stirred with 5ml of the Johnnie Walker Platinum. Once the paste is stirred up gentle, add in another 30ml of the Johnnie Walker Platinum Label, Add in ice with an orange zest and a grated tonka bean.

While this guide only covers the basics of how to mix some of the more traditional cocktails with the Johnnie Walker Labels, there is so much more that you can enjoy by just exploring the Johnnie Walker collection and adding it to your favorite sodas, liqueurs, and fruits. The important thing to remember is to enjoy the experience that comes with a carefully and meticulously crafted scotch such as the Johnnie Walker brand.

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