I'm a Whiskey Expert. You've Been Drinking Whiskey All Wrong in the Summer
One of the silliest and most common myths about whiskey is that you're only supposed to drink it when it's cold outside.
I'm not sure when this nonsense started but it's been around for at least 30 years, which is to say as long as I've been writing about liquor.
I don't disagree that a smoky, peaty Scotch is the perfect drink for a snowy winter's night, but that doesn't mean you should stop drinking whiskey altogether when it gets hazy, hot, and humid outside.
Related: I'm a Liquor Expert. These Are My Favorite Whiskeys to Drink on the Rocks Come Spring
This misconception pervades all brown spirits, which people tend to irrationally shun in summer in favor of clear spirits. What I find fascinating is that some white rums actually start out brown and their color is removed before bottling. The same thing is true for the cristalino category of tequila, which is also barrel aged, then later filtered to become clear. Altering the color has a minimal effect on flavor, but more importantly changes the perception of these spirits. As a result, they now sell much better in warmer months.
While this might sound strange for a drinks expert, I actually like drinking whiskey in the summer as much as I like drinking it in the winter. I just change up my approach to the liquor. In colder seasons, I like to drink whiskey neat or in drinks like the Manhattan, Irish coffee, and the Rob Roy.
On the other hand, in the summer, I crave whiskey in refreshing cocktails. Unlike other spirits, whiskey doesn't get lost in a drink even if you add plenty of ice and mixers. As my old friend David Wondrich likes to say, whiskey laughs at ice-especially American whiskey. He should know since he's the world's foremost cocktail historian.
I know this, of course, runs counter to what you've heard your whole adult life from friends, bartenders, and relatives who've told you not to add anything to your whiskey. But a bit of dilution actually helps to open up a dram, releasing even more aromas and flavors. (Whether you can or can't add anything to whiskey is actually one of the top five things I'm asked most about when I do lectures.)
For more than a century, whiskey has been mixed with club soda. These so-called highballs helped popularize Scotch in the United States at the turn of the century. And the best part is you don't need any special tools or a proper bar to make a highball, which means you can fix one on a flight, at the beach, or even poolside. I like to adjust the ratio of whiskey to soda depending upon the type and flavor profile of the whiskey. You want enough soda to make it refreshing but not so much that you can't taste the whiskey. So, start by adding a bit of water and keep tasting the drink unlike you like the results.
Related: I'm a Cocktail Expert. This Is My Go-To Bourbon Cocktail to Beat Brutal Summer Heat
Whiskey also tastes great mixed with ginger ale or ginger beer. The sweetness of the soda, just like sugar in an old-fashioned, helps round out the drink. Add a squeeze of a fresh lime and a dash or two of aromatic bitters and you have one hell of a summer drink. Essentially, you've made a whiskey version of the classic dark rum drink the Dark ‘N Stormy. Whiskey can often work in place of rum in a number of classic summery cocktails. Swap out the rum in a daiquiri with whiskey, and you get a delicious whiskey sour. Swap out the rum in a mojito with whiskey and you basically get a mint julep or a whiskey smash.
I even like to use a pungent Islay Scotch in some of these cocktails. The peaty, smoky flavors actually pair beautifully with citrus like lime and ginger.
So the next few months don't banish your whiskey to the back of your liquor cabinet-drink it!
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Drink section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 9:38 AM.