Tasting Whiskey

Muddle three slices of fresh ginger in a shaker glass. Add 2 ounces of blended Scotch, 3⁄4 ounce fresh lemon juice, and 3⁄4 ounce honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water: stir till an equal consistency, chill), and shake with ice. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and float 1⁄4 ounce of Islay single malt on top (Laphroaig 10-year-old seems to be the usual choice, but don’t feel constrained; Caol Ila should be considered). Some bars get calls for these often enough that that they make up a honey-ginger syrup to save time; it still tastes great.

You’ll have to find your own favorite ratio of ingredients. Start heavy on the Scotch side of the equation, maybe 3 parts whisky to 1 part Drambuie, and work your way toward sweet Scottish nirvana from there.

The reason the Rusty Nail is so easy is that all the hard work’s already been done for you. Yes, the whisky’s been made — and don’t skimp on it; use a better blend to get the full potential here — but it’s the Drambuie that’s the star here.

I do muddle the mint, gently, briefly, with a full teaspoon of table sugar, in the bottom of a chilled silver julep cup (glass works, but silver’s so fine).
Then I cheat: I use a Hamilton Beach Snowman ice shaver. A steal at 20 bucks! It’s a motorized device that shaves pucks of ice pretty quickly and keeps them cold. So I shave until I have a cup full of snowy ice crystals, and then I pour in the delicious bourbon. You’ll want something that can stand up to the melting ice, so even though you’re pouring 3 to 4 ounces — your call — you might want to go big and bold: Knob Creek, Wild Turkey 101, or Old Forester Signature. Stir till the glass frosts up (if you’ve chilled it properly, that won’t take long). Then top it up with ice. Stick more sprigs of mint in the top, after you’ve given them a quick spank to release their aroma.
If you give the drink a straw, use a pair, and cut them so they’re just an inch over the lip; that way