If you've always wanted to dip your toes into the wild world of whiskey drinking but haven't ever felt confident enough to commit to an ordering an entire cocktail, then you should try asking for a whiskey shot instead. Whether you want to try it this classic liquor straight up or mixed together with other juices and liqueurs, there is a wonderfully warm and rich whiskey shot recipe for you. These are a few whiskey shots to help get you started, as they're guaranteed to go down smooth.
California Gold Rush Shot
If only the miners in the California Gold Rush in the mid-19th century could have tasted the sweet, simple relief of this whiskey shot. To try it for yourself, just mix together a bit of lemon juice with honey whiskey.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ounce honey whiskey
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lemon juice and whiskey.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain the mixture into a shot glass.
Passionfruit Old Fashioned Shot
The Old Fashioned is a fundamental cocktail recipe that has been experimented with countless times over the course of human history because of its unique ability to pair well with almost every flavor. If you want to incorporate a little bit of fruity flavors to your whiskey, try this Passionfruit Old Fashioned Shot recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 dashes cocktail bitters
- ½ teaspoon passionfruit simple syrup
- 1½ ounce rye whiskey
- Ice
- Sugar cube
- Cherry for garnish
- Lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combine the cocktail bitters, passionfruit syrup, and rye.
- Add ice and stir to chill.
- Strain into a shot glass. Drop in the sugar cube and garnish with a cherry and lemon slice skewer.
Route 66 Shot
As strong as the wind whipping against your car on the open road of the American mid-west, this Route 66 Shot definitely isn't for the faint of heart. It's basically a little half-brother to the Four Horsemen drink. To mix this alcohol shot at home, just combine equal parts of whiskey and tequila and you'll have one delicious, no-nonsense drink to serve your guests.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce whiskey
- ¾ ounce tequila
Instructions
- In a shot glass, combine the ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients together with a stirring stick.
Tree Sap Shot
Inspired by the rich color of tree sap, this whiskey shot combines maple syrup, apple juice, and whiskey together for a fresh-flavored, autumnal shot.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce maple syrup
- ½ ounce apple juice
- ½ ounce whiskey
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the syrup, apple juice, and whiskey.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Strain into a shot glass.
Turmeric Toddy Shot
The turmeric toddy Shot is a perfect way to fend off any upcoming colds or sniffles because of its combination of vitamin C packed lemon juice, turmeric, sherry, and whiskey.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ ounce turmeric simple syrup
- ½ ounce dry sherry
- ½ ounce whiskey
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all of the ingredients.
- Shake to mix.
- Strain the mixture into a shot glass.
Waldorf Shot
The Waldorf was a signature cocktail created for the clients of the infamous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel during the height of its popularity with American high society. Simply decrease the amounts used in the original recipe to create your own Waldorf shot.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce absinthe
- ½ ounce dry vermouth
- ¾ ounce rye whiskey
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Ice
Instructions
- Take a shot glass and pour in the absinthe. Swirl it around the glass to coat it and pour out the leftover liquor.
- In a mixing glass, combine the vermouth, rye, and bitters.
- Add ice and stir to chill.
- Strain the mixture into the prepared shot glass.
Whiskey Highball Shot
Another classic whiskey cocktail, the whiskey highball involves combining whiskey with a mixer. Now, if you don't have the time to gulp down an entire highball's glass worth of whiskey cocktail, then you can mix up this whiskey highball shot, which just combines equal parts of ginger ale and whiskey.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce ginger ale
- ¾ ounce whiskey
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a shot glass.
Water Down, Whiskey Up
The time has come to set that water down on the bar and take a leap of faith with one of the whiskey shot recipes. You can vary the shots by adding your own homemade infused whiskeys to create interesting new flavors. While the history of whiskey drinking, and whiskey drinkers alike, have quite the reputation, anyone can enjoy a little bit of whiskey in their life once they find the right recipe, and you can't go wrong with any one of these whiskey shots, or even some full-size whiskey mixed drinks. Now, are you ready to explore some other shot recipes? Because whiskey isn't the only liquor in the world, you know.
