The traditions of drinking alcohol in Russia are not at all the same as in England or Ireland. There they can drink a glass of wine before dinner or a glass of whiskey after, for us the amount of drink is determined only by the abilities of the guests and the finances of the owners. What do they drink with whiskey from us and from them? This is an ambiguous question - the choice depends not only on the type of drink, but also on the preferences of the guests.
What to drink with whiskey in Europe and the USA
Ireland and Scotland, with their many years of tradition of making "water of life", have gained some addictions in combining a noble drink with suitable liquids. The United States, despite its not so long history, also acquired a couple of three ideas. Well, and in Russia, its traditions - feasts without plentiful food are as rare as non-drinkers at all.
Most often, whiskey is mixed with liquids such as:
- water;
- ice;
- cola;
- tea;
- coffee;
- cocktails from alcoholic and non-alcoholic components.
Water
This is exactly what the Scots themselves drink with scotch (whiskey). Water makes the taste softer and reduces strength. The amount of the additive varies from a few drops to a ratio of 50 to 50 - here everything is decided by individual preferences, as well as the strength and taste of a particular drink.
Opponents of such dilution indicate that whiskey has already been diluted with water when bottled. The addition of additional liquid during serving introduces an imbalance in the taste and aroma of the drink due to differences in the chemical composition of the water between the buyer and the manufacturer.
Ice
This is another option for whiskey, scottish, irish or whatever else - it doesn’t matter. This combination gives the aroma as close as possible to the original. To taste the drink well, you should add two or three ice cubes to the classic Old Fashion, pour a little whiskey and slowly relish the resultant under the smooth flow of conversation in a pleasant company.
Carbonated drinks: cola, pepsi, soda
Whiskey with soda is the favorite drink of gangsters and "tough nuts" in American action movies. Under the name “soda”, not quite ordinary soda is hidden: it also contains citric acid and soda. Traditional whiskey with soda came to us from America, and the cocktail is very popular all over the world. It is assumed that he appeared to smooth the oily bourbon flavor.
However, the list of what Americans drink from whiskey is not limited to soda. A very popular combination is whiskey and cola.
This refers, of course, to the original Coca-Cola or, as an option, Pepsi-Cola - it allows you to neutralize the shortcomings of not too good alcohol. Since alcohol is absorbed into the blood much faster with this kind of mixing, this recipe is a godsend for those who decide to get drunk quickly and cheaply.
Coffee and tea
Everyone knows Irish coffee - a popular Irish cocktail that includes coffee, whiskey and cream. The combination of only two components - "water of life" and coffee - is also very good in taste.
The second thing they drink with whiskey is tea. This combination is great to quickly warm up after a walk in the cold. A popular cocktail in Ireland is hot tea with honey and whiskey. In China, a slightly different recipe is used - they drink green tea with whiskey and ice, but not for the sake of taste. According to the Chinese, such a mixture does not cause a hangover.
Cocktails
Mixtures are a sign of bad taste. That's exactly what people who call themselves true connoisseurs of whiskey think so. Nevertheless, cocktails exist, moreover, they are very popular. The combinations of whiskey drinks around the world are presented below.
Creamy Whiskey
For this cocktail you will need:
- 50 grams of whiskey;
- a slice of dark chocolate;
- sugar syrup (approximately 10 ml);
- vanilla ice cream - 150 grams or 4 balls (medium size);
- 15 ml of 33% cream;
- ice.
The drink is served in a wine glass or in any glass with a capacity of 250-300 ml. It must be filled with ice to the top. Syrup, ice cream, cream and whiskey add to the blender and mix. Pour into a glass with ice, garnish with a piece of chocolate and drink through a straw.
Whiskey sour
This cocktail is very popular in America. For it, you can use bourbon or single malt whiskey. Instead of lemon juice, orange juice is also good.
Components
- 40 grams of whiskey;
- 20 grams of lemon juice or orange fresh;
- 20 grams of sugar syrup;
- a few ice cubes.
Add all ingredients to the shaker, mix, serve in an Old Fashion glass, which is pre-filled with ice cubes.
Dry Manhattan Cocktail
The classic recipe for this drink includes 60 ml of rye whiskey, 30 ml of red sweet vermouth and a couple of drops of Angostur bitter. A cocktail is prepared in a mixing glass using a bar spoon, and then served in a cocktail glass (“martinka”) using a sieve (strainer).
The mixing glass should be half filled with ice. To add the listed ingredients from above, mix with a bar spoon, strain into a “martinka”. Garnish with lemon peel or maraschino cherry. Instead of rye whiskey, bourbon can also be used, but in this case the ratio is different: 75 ml of bourbon and 25 ml of vermouth.
Whiskey without additives
And with what to drink whiskey? Connoisseurs will say: “Straight!” (i.e. no additives). This is exactly the way to drink high-quality, high-quality varieties, otherwise the taste and aroma of a noble drink will pass by. Experts advise tasting that whiskey worthwhile, observing some simple recommendations:
- The temperature of the drink when serving should be 18-20 ° - if higher, then alcohol will be felt too sharply, if lower - no aroma will be felt.
- Professional tasters use special glasses that resemble wine glasses in shape. At home, you can take the same, narrowing up, or serve according to tradition - in Old Fashion.
For cooling directly in the glass using special stones for whiskey. Steatite, shungite, granite or steel are used as the material for them; in Siberia, jade is used for this purpose. If the stones are kept in the refrigerator before being placed in the glass, they will cool the drink. If you do not do this and add them to hot tea or coffee, they will keep the drink warm.
And another component of what to drink whiskey with is a snack. Traditions in both Ireland and Scotland, as well as in the USA suggest that they consume a drink after a meal, and not with it, so the idea of a snack looks a bit strange. However, this does not mean that the "water of life" is not suitable for anything. Residents of Japan successfully combine whiskey with sushi. Smoked fish (many of which are Irish) can be served with smoked fish.