Irish whiskey represents a very small share of the market, since there are only three distilleries in Ireland still selling whiskey. Irish whiskey generally has a lighter, less smoky flavor than Scotch. Jameson is the current favorite among Irish whiskeys.

Canadian whisky is the lightest of all, due to being the blend of a base whisky and a flavoring whisky. Popular Canadian whiskies include Crown Royal Reserve and Canadian Club.

OK, enough about how whiskeys are made—now let’s get down to how to enjoy them! You can pick up a bottle of the best-selling brands for under $30 at your local liquor store, but if you’re looking for the very best, here are some of the finest luxury brands. Be prepared to pay $70-$100 or more per bottle.

Irish Whiskey: Bushmills 1608, Jameson Rarest Vintage, Middleton Very Rare
Single Malt Scotch: The Glenrothes 1975, Highland Park 40 Year, Glenfarclas 25 Year
Blended Scotch: Johnnie Walker Blue, Chivas Regal 25 Year, Ballantine’s 30 Year
Bourbon: A.H. Hirsch 16 Year, Willet 28 Year, Longrow Cask 10 Year
Canadian Whisky: Canadian Club 30 Year, Crown Royal XR

Any whiskey can be enjoyed neat or with water, but there are also plenty of mixed drinks that use the libation as an ingredient. Mixed drinks using whiskey are enjoying new popularity, so why not impress your guests with your skills as a mixologist? Here’s how to make the three most loved whiskey drinks:

Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 oz. blended whiskey

1 dash bitters

1 slice of orange

1 cherry

1 slice of lemon

1 sugar cube


Place sugar cube in old-fashioned glass and saturate with bitters, then muddle until dissolved. Fill the glass with ice cubes, add whiskey, then garnish with orange slice, lemon twist and maraschino cherry.

Whiskey Sour
Ingredients:
2 oz. blended whiskey

1/2 tsp. powdered sugar

1/2 slice of lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon


Shake with ice, strain into ice-filled old-fashioned glass to serve on the rocks.

Manhattan
Ingredients:
2 1/2 oz. bourbon whiskey

1/4 oz sweet vermouth

1 dash Angostura bitters

1 twist of orange peel

1 Maraschino cherry


Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes and stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, then garnish with the cherry.

If you’ve been saving the whiskey for your buddies but chilling the wine for your female guests, you may be surprised to hear that the ladies are becoming more amenable to enjoying the hard stuff. According to Alan Shayne of the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society, “Whiskey has become more accessible to both men and women— especially the younger generation. There are so many different styles now and a wide range of flavors and aromas—there really is something for everyone.”

Whiskey is a timeless classic, and a good whiskey will always be part of a well-stocked bar!