I have always advised against mixing whiskey with cola, energy drinks, and carbonated beverages, and also against adding ice. But today's topic will be about using whiskey in cocktails and mixing it with other alcoholic and non-alcoholic liquids. In recent years, cocktail culture in Bulgaria has been constantly developing, due to the opening of numerous cocktail bars, training by foreign specialists, annual bartending competitions, participation in festivals, and specialized attention from alcohol importers to bartenders.

The word cocktail does not have a precise origin, or no one remembers how it became the name for this type of alcoholic beverage. There are several versions of the word's origin. The first is based on the translation of the word cocktail – "rooster's tail". Many people identify the colorful tail with colorful drinks. Another story about the word's origin comes from far back in 1779, when the young widow Betsy Flanagan worked as a waitress in a New York bar. She decided to decorate her customers' drinks with rooster feathers. The customers were pleased and exclaimed: "Viva la cocktail".

The participation of whiskey in cocktails has a history of over 150 years, and in recent years, whiskey cocktail recipes have been changing, being supplemented, and experimenting with hundreds of new brands.

Whiskies are even produced with profiles aimed at their participation in cocktails, rather than at the whiskey consumer. The labels of some whiskey bottles feature cocktail recipes, not brand specifications. The advertisements of some brands do not focus on the advantages of "The Water of Life," but on the advantages of mixing it. Annual distillates at serious prices are mixed, and the focus is not only on standard whiskey brands. I would say it's crazy cocktail work, but many people won't agree with me.

Here are a few classic whiskey cocktails that every whiskey fan should try. Brands and types are not mentioned, so you can prepare the drink with a different type of whiskey each time (Bourbon, Canadian, Scotch, Irish, Rye, Wheat, Malt, Blend). My recommendation is to try cocktails according to the style of whiskey, for which it's good to first know the whiskey itself, and also to be curious about what brand or type of whiskey is used in your cocktail at the bar if it's not described on the menu.

Old Fashioned:

Ingredients: 50 ml Bourbon, 5 ml water, 1 sugar cube, 4-5 drops Angostura bitters, 1 lemon spiral. Glass: Old Fashioned.

Serving: In an Old Fashioned glass: Place the sugar cube, water, and Angostura. Muddle the sugar well with the back of a bar spoon and add the bourbon. Add the lemon spiral and stir. Add 3-4 ice cubes and garnish with a slice of orange and a slice of lemon. You can also drop a cocktail cherry into the glass.

Manhattan:

Ingredients: 50 ml Bourbon, 20 ml sweet vermouth, 3-4 drops Angostura bitters. Glass:

Prepare in a shaker with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry. Bourbon can be replaced with rye or Canadian whiskey.

Rob Roy

Ingredients: 50 ml Scotch whisky, 20 ml sweet vermouth, 3-4 drops Angostura bitters.

Prepare in a shaker with plenty of ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

American Tennessee Coffee Ingredients:

15 ml Tennessee whiskey, 15 ml Kahlúa, 120 ml hot coffee, whipped cream, sugar. Glass:

Warm an Irish coffee glass well under hot running water and pour the whiskey and Kahlúa into it. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add coffee and top with a thick layer of whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles and serve with a spoon and saucer.

All ingredients and suitable brands for cocktails can be found at www.vida.bg, and can also be served at whiskey bar Caldo – www.caldo.bg