You may not think about whiskey when putting together your summer cocktail recipes. But you need to! A whiskey sour can be super refreshing! And when you add strawberries and some fresh herbs, whiskey cocktails for summer make perfect sense! This Strawberry Whiskey Sour is delish! First off, whiskey vs. whisky? I had to look it up. The Irish spell it with the “e” and the Scots spell it without out. And don’t ask about the difference between whiskey and bourbon… All you need to know is that whisky (and whiskey – and really bourbon too) are great for your cocktails no matter what time of year.

What You Need to Make a Strawberry Whiskey Sour

Ingredients

2 fresh strawberries, muddled
2 sprigs fresh thyme, muddled (can also use marjoram, oregano and probably any other kind of fresh herb!)
2 oz. Magnus Single Malt Scotch Whisky
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
.75 oz. simple syrup (I prefer to use a ready-made but you can make this cheater simple syrup if you prefer)

Like with my other recipes, I like to give you a base and then tell you to make it your own! At first I used less simple syrup because I don’t love things too sweet, but in this case, because of the fresh lemon juice, you need the simple syrup. Some cocktail purists might not even consider this a sour, but I totally do.

I LOVE fresh herbs so I added more. If you like a more subtle flavor, use less.

The Magnus has a really smokey flavor. I love how it pairs with the strawberries but if you find it too bold, just swap it out for your favorite whisky. I could totally sip on the Magnus on it’s own.

How to Make a Strawberry Whiskey Sour

Any cocktail that starts with strawberries is good in my book. Fresh herbs can add so much flavor to a drink. I love that they tend to hit your nose first and get your excited for the sip! Aside from the Magnus, this recipe doesn’t require anything fancy. I even used the back of a wooden spoon to muddle. It’s all about improvising.
As I’ve mentioned before, whiskey is something that is included in holiday celebrations with my husband’s family. And we’ve started to make more whiskey sours at home. This summery version is one I’ll be making until the weather cools down (which, here in California, is pretty much into January. :))

But I should note: this isn’t your day drinking, sip around the pool, cocktail. This is a warm summer night on the patio cocktail. The lemon and strawberry keep it bright. But the Magnus, and it’s smoky flavor, keep it complex. Refreshing, yes. But best when sipped.
Use a cocktail shaker with ice to chill the ingredients. I never go crazy with garnish. A simple strawberry does the trick for this drink. This whisky sour is so easy and delicious. It’s a nice, strawberry twist of a classic cocktail recipe.This is the perfect whiskey cocktail for summer! Man, that “e” is really throwing me off!

The Magnus would also be delicious on the rocks when the weather starts to cool down. I think the smoky notes would also go really well with BBQ also (but what doesn’t, amIright?!).

You can find Magnus at BevMo and other liquor retailers.