Sip or Swig: 6 Whiskeys to Sip and 6 Whiskeys for Cocktails

There’s no wrong way to drink it. You can make a one-ingredient cocktail or throw some liqueurs and fresh fruit in a glass with your liquor. At truk’t, we do both.

With over 70 bourbon, rye, malts and single blends, there’s always something new to try. We tasted a handful of whiskies and are letting you know which ones are good for a SIP and which ones you should SWIG!

"SIP"

High-quality whiskeys (or whiskys) are meant to be sipped and savored. Makers intend for drinkers to appreciate the flavor profiles and nuances of their creations.

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon

It’s the perfect mixture of four recipes to create a well-balanced bourbon. Tasting notes include ripened berries and dried spice.

Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon

With tastes of charred oak, sweet brown sugar, a touch of black pepper and dried fruits, this bourbon offers a sweet and spicy profile.

WhistlePig Boss Hog VII*

This rye whiskey ages for 17 years in American oak barrels, then spends time in Spanish casks and finishes in South American teakwood. You’ll taste spicy cloves, brandied cherries and baking spices before subtle hints of charred oak, sage and dark chocolate.

*specially allocated

Journeyman Last Feather Rye

You won’t find many rye whiskeys that balance the spice and pepper of rye and sweetness of wheat and fruit notes quite like this one.

Blanton's Original Single Barrel Bourbon*

The first single barrel bourbon in the world (no joke), this sweet bourbon has notes of citrus and oak.

*specially allocated

Balvenie Doublewood 12

It’s the only scotch whisky on our list, but it’s a good one. It’s aged 12 years in American oak barrels and then moves to Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks for nine months before spending the last 3-4 months in large oak vessels called “tuns.” Let us know if you taste a nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a layer of sherry when you have a glass.

"SWIG"

It’s okay if you don’t like to drink whiskey neat or on the rocks. We know good whiskey, but we aren’t total purists here. With a high alcohol content (40% and above ABV) and bold flavors, straight whiskey can feel like a sucker punch to the taste buds if it’s not your jam.

Try it in a cocktail instead.

Jim Beam Black

Its full-bodied flavor with notes of caramel and oak make this the perfect whiskey for our signature cocktail, The Prospector, which features blackberry liqueur and smoked honey syrup.

Templeton Rye Whiskey

If you love a whiskey old fashioned, you need to try it with Templeton. It’s mellow and smooth with flavors of oak and fruit, and we make our own special Templeton Old Fashioned cocktail with pear liqueur. A must try.

St. George Breaking & Entering Bourbon

The bourbon gets its name from the distillery using barrels from other distilleries. It’s spicy and rich with a hint of mint, which pairs well with the peach liqueur and mint in our Bourbon Peach Smash cocktail.

Knob Creek Bourbon

Aged in white oak with flavors of vanilla and caramel, this bourbon is excellent in classic cocktails, like an old fashioned, manhattan or mint julep.

FEW Straight Bourbon

Where southern tradition meets the spiciness of northern rye, cinnamon and clove dominate the flavor profile of this bourbon. Try it in our cocktail Couple, Two, Three.

Johnnie Walker Black

This whisky’s smooth finish makes it perfect for a cocktail. Try a classic highball, whisky and soda water, or a whisky sour.

And these aren’t even all of our favorites. Come to truk’t in Beloit, WI, and sip or swig your way through our whiskey selection.

5 Whiskey Cocktails to Keep You Warm This Winter

Things that can’t keep you warm: a swimsuit, an ice bath, your ex

Things that can keep you warm: a cozy sweater, a roaring fireplace, whiskey

We don’t have sweaters or a fireplace, but we have a few whiskey cocktails at truk’t that will heat you from the inside out on the coldest Wisconsin days.

1. THE PROSPECTOR

jim beam black, giffard blackberry liqueur, smoked honey syrup, fresh lemon

2. TEMPLETON OLD FASHIONED

templeton rye whiskey, st. george spiced pear liqueur, luxardo cherries, orange, angostura bitters, soda

3. COUPLE, TWO, TREE

few bourbon, carpano antica sweet vermouth, mandarine napoleon, lemon peel, mesquite smoke

4. BOURBON PEACH SMASH

st. george breaking & entering bourbon, giffard peach liqueur, lemon, mint, scrappy’s orleans bitters

5. MANHATTAN

rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters

5. (AGAIN)

Not a cocktail drinker? Get yourself a whiskey flight and/or try the new whiskey available for a limited time:

+ WhistlePig flight: Farmstock Rye, 10yr & 12yr

+ WhistlePig The Boss Hog VII: Magellan’s Atlantic

When the weather outside is frightful, the whiskey is so delightful. That’s the tune we’re singing this winter. Hop on over to truk’t and we’ll make sure you’re nice and toasty.

Forget Green Beer, We're Drinking Whiskey this St. Paddy's Day

Ah, whiskey. The water of life.

And we’re not just saying that. The word “whiskey” actually comes from a Gaelic word that means “water of life.” So, it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, right?

Right.

Lucky for us, the Irish know their s*** and make good whiskey. But, what makes it different from the rest? Two things: the grain they use and how the grain is distilled.

HOW IT'S MADE

Irish whiskey is made from cereal grains, like a bran cereal. The flavors are unique to Ireland because of the location, the amount of rain they get and all the grains they have. Malted is expensive and tedious, but produces the most flavor, while blended starts with malted grains, then the addition of a neutral grain spirit, like another whiskey, makes the flavor lighter.

To get the best flavor in distilling, a single pot still is the way to go. It’s a copper pot where only one batch can be distilled at a time, so it’s, again, expensive and tedious, but the result’s flavor rings true to Irish whiskey when it all began.

A Coffey–or column–still continuously distills the whiskey to the point where it can turn into vodka if you leave it in long enough. You’ll find a lot of blended grains are distilled this way because you get a lighter, more neutral tasting whiskey.

The last step is aging it in barrels. The two rules of aging Irish whiskey are it must be aged for at least three years and the barrels can never leave Ireland. Easy enough.

If you read our blog on American whiskeys, you’d know they can only be aged in brand new barrels. So, what do they do with the used barrels? Ship them to Ireland.

TIME TO DRINK

Now that we’ve told you a little bit about how they make Irish whiskey, we need to tell you what Irish whiskey to drink on St. Paddy’s Day (and every other day).

Jameson

Blended grains and distilling three times over give this house favorite its signature smoothness. Drink Jamo on the rocks, neat or in a cocktail. We’ll make you a good one.

Redbreast 12yr

Want to spice things up for St. Patrick? Try Redbreast 12 neat. It’s aged in bourbon-seasoned American oak barrels and Oloroso Sherry-seasoned Spanish oak butts, which add spicy, fruity, charred and sherry notes.

Tullamore D.E.W.

Also triple distilled, like Jameson, and aged in bourbon and sherry casks, like Red Breast, you’d think all Irish whiskeys are the same. Wrong-O. Tullamore D.E.W. is light and citrusy yet a little toasty with a vanilla finish. Take it like the traditional Irish whiskey drinkers with a few drops of water or on ice or neat.

Slane Irish Whiskey

This whiskey’s aged in three varieties of casks, virgin and seasoned casks and Oloroso sherry casks from Spain, then blended into one delicious whiskey. Take a crack at a glass of Slane neat for a smooth drink with notes of oak and spice.

Four Roses Bourbon

It’s not Irish, but it’s still good.

Skip the green beer this St. Paddy’s Day and give Irish whiskey the ol’ college try. You’ll be ready for a trip to Ireland in no time. Or a trip to truk’t for our selection of Irish whiskeys.

Sláinte!