Sponsored: Take your holiday cocktails to the next level and please the scotch lover on your list

December 17, 2019

Every year, we enjoy a rare moment when we gather with our families and friends in December to celebrate, spend time with those we love and ring in the New Year.

What better way to spend this rare moment than with scotch, a libation that honours time well spent, craft and artistry of flavour. Single Malts whiskies don't have to just be enjoyed over ice – they are also perfect in holiday cocktails!

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the whisky lover in your life, try these five great products. Whether you need a stocking stuffer, the perfect item for dad (or mom!), someone in your famiily with a discerning palette or yourself, these five whiskies have something for everyone.

Follow us through this gallery for eight great cocktail recipes using The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old, Lagavulin 8 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare and Johnnie Walker 18 Years Old.
Please enjoy these products responsibly.

<H2>ROB ROY</h2>
<P>This “beautifully balanced” rendition of the classic Scotch cocktail named after a Scottish hero is similar to a Manhattan.
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<p><li>1.5 oz. The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old
<li>1 ounce sweet vermouth
<li>3 dashes of bitters
<li>Cherry, for garnish</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Pour the Singleton, vermouth and bitters into a mixing glass with ice.
<p>2. Stir with bar spoon for 30 seconds.
<p>3. Strain and serve “straight up” into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.
<p>Enjoy!

<H2>SPICED APPLE PIE</h2>
<P>This perfect seasonal dessert cocktail is served with honey and apple pie spice.
<P><STRONG>Ingredients: </strong>
<li>Apple pie spice, as needed
<li>Salt, as needed
<li>1.5 oz. The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old
<li>0.5 ounce honey
<li>1 ounce fresh lemon juice
<li>0.5 ounce vanilla extract
<li>Sparkling Apple Juice, as needed
<li>1 slice dried apple, for garnish</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Combine apple pie spice and salt on a plate. Then, rim glass with apple pie spice mixture.
<p>2. Combine the Singleton, honey, lemon and vanilla in an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and stra in into the icefilled glass.
<p>3. Top with sparkling apple juice and garnish with the dried apple.
<p>Enjoy!

<h2>HIGHLAND TEMPEST</h2>
<p>There’s never a bad time for ginger, and the zesty zip of ginger beer mixed with lime makes this cocktail perfect for the holiday season.
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<p><li>1.5 oz. The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old
<li>1 ounce fresh lime juice
<li>5 to 6 ounces ginger beer
<li>Cinnamon sticks, for garnish</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Combine the Singleton and lime juice in a glass.
<p>2. Add ice and stir well.
<p>3. Top with ginger beer and garnish with cinnamon sticks.
<p>Enjoy!

<h2>SINGLETON HOT TODDY</h2>
<p>This smoky, fruity and spicy cocktail that’s perfect for sitting around the Christmas tree with your relatives.
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<p><li>4 ounces water
<li>1 tea bag
<li>1.5 oz The Singleton of Dufftown 12 Years Old
<li>0.5 ounce fresh lemon juice
<li>0.5 ounce honey
<li>Lemon wedge, for garnish</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Boil water and add tea bag. Let tea steep for 2 minutes.
<p>2. Remove tea bag and add Singleton, lemon juice and honey.
<p>3. Stir with a spoon and garnish with the lemon.
<p>Enjoy!

<h2>SINGLETON OF DUFFTOWN 12 YEARS OLD</h2>
<p>This smooth, naturally rich Single Malt Scotch Whisky has sweet fruity notes and a lingering, pleasurable warmth. It is described as having “aromas of brown sugar, espresso, dried fruit and roasted nuts” that tastes polished and smooth and has a “pleasant crispness.”
<p>It's perfect neat, on ice or in any of the previous four recipes. Add just a touch of water to bring out the subtly sweet fruit notes.
<p>This is a great introductory single malt that was created with approachability in mind.
<p>$59.95

<h2>LAGAVULIN 8 YEARS OLD</h2>
<p>Sweet, smoky and charred with the taste of minty dark chocolate, this limited-edition 8-year-old whisky has full on taste that’s even bigger than you’d expect. It has a fragrance that is soft with clean, fresh notes and faint hints of milk chocolate and lemon. Its long, smoky finish warms the palate and leaves it dry as sweet smoke lingers on the breath.
<p>Enjoy it neat in a whisky nosing glass, or even with a small drop of water. It’s also terrific on ice.
<p>$89.95

<h2>JOHNNIE WALKER AGED 18 YEARS JADE DEW</h2>
<p>The warming joys of ginger and Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years unite in this delightful cocktail that will surprise you with its sweetness and citrus kick.
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<p><li>30 mL Johnnie Walker 18 Years Old
<li>25 mL pressed apple juice
<li>10 mL ginger liqueur
<li>10 mL lime juice
<li>Mix of 2 parts absinthe, 1 part orange bitters, 1 part Angostura bitters
<li>Mint and apple slices</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Mix Johnnie Walker Aged 18 Years, apple juice, ginger liqueur and lime juice in a tall glass.
<p>2. Mix 2 parts absinthe, 1 part orange bitters, 1 part Angostura bitters, and add a dash to the drink using a pipette.
<p>3. Garnish with a mint sprig and an apple spice pierced with the pipette.
<p>For a slightly different version, add 5 mL of bitters/absinthe mix instead.
<p>Enjoy!

<h2>JOHNNIE WALKER 18 YEARS OLD</h2>
<p>This smooth, well-rounded combination includes up to 18 different whiskies from all over Scotland.
<p>Most of these are classic malts, which have undergone a slow, easy maturation in Scotland for at least 18 years.
<p>Carefully chosen for their flavour and quality, these whiskies make for a wonderful combination of both classic and contemporary tastes – blending notes of citrus and fragrant almonds, with warm vanilla and a hint of tropical tangerines.
<p>$149.95

<h2>OLD FASHIONED</h2>
<p>This classic whisky cocktail is warming and has a smoky touch and slightly sweet taste.
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>
<p><li>60 mL Johnnie Walker Blue Label
<li>10 mL 1:1 simple syrup (see directions)
<li>2 dashes aromatic bitters</li>
<p><strong>How to make it:</strong>
<p>1. Combine all the ingredients in an ice-filled mixing glass and stir well.
<p>If you don’t have 1:1 simple syrup, you can make this by combining equal quantities of sugar and water in a pan and heating it until the sugar dissolves.
<p>2. Serve this cocktail in a tumbler, over one large cube or several small ones. You could even use an ice ball if you prefer.
<p>3. Finish by twisting a piece of orange zest over the glass to release the aromatic oils.
<p>4. Garnish using an orange peel and a spring of toasted rosemary for a luxurious finish.
<p>Enjoy!

<h2>JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL</h2>
<p>This is an exquisite combination of Scotland’s rarest and most exceptional whiskies.
<p>Only one in every 10,000 casks has the elusive quality, character and flavour to deliver the remarkable signature taste.
<p>It’s created using a selection of rare casks from the Speyside and Highland distilleries – including Cardhu and Clynelish, Benrinnes, as well as Islay malts for the signature smokiness.
<p>It serves a velvety combination of vanilla, honey and rose petals – before broadening out to include a zesty orange flavour with notes of hazelnut, sherry and dark chocolate.
<p>Enjoy it in a delicious Old Fashioned, on ice or neat.
<p>$309.95

<h2>JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL GHOST & RARE</h2>
<p>At the heart of this limited-edition product lies the Highland single malt, Glenury Royal, a “ghost” distillery that shut its doors in 1985 after a long and colourful history.
<p>It is crafted by blending the highly sought-after “ghost” whiskies from Cambus and Pittyvaich, with five incredibly rare malts from Glen Elgin, Inchgower, Glenlossie, Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie.
<p>It has smooth, nutty layers of dark chocolate, waves of vanilla, heather honey and dried fruits and underlying notes of creamy toffee and butterscotch – all perfectly balanced by the rich, fruity, sweet apple and delicate apricot character of Glenury Royal.
<p>$549.95