Try these whisky cocktails to celebrate the spring holiday. In these recipes, you will find a selection of great pre-dinner options as well as chocolatey dessert cocktails. Why not drink your Easter chocolates instead?
The Remarkable Regional Malts range from Douglas Laing offers a great selection of blended malt scotch whiskies with flavours from all five Scottish whisky regions. In the whisky cocktails below, I have focused on The Epicurean for its lighter, vibrant style, Scallywag for the chocolate notes and Big Peat to add some smoke. All of these are bottled without additives or colourings and without chill-filtration.
Whisky Cocktails with Remarkable Regional Malts
Herbal Cocktails with The Epicurean
Let’s begin with The Epicurean, 46.2% ABV, which is a Lowland blended malt, made with the finest single malts of the region. The outcome is zesty, grassy and fresh with aromas of citrus, oats and herbs. On the palate, it offers more citrus, orchard fruits, subtle spice and grassy notes. Herbs, honey, almonds and fresh bread on the finish. The Epicurean lends itself to light and fragrant spring cocktails.
Basil & Lemon Highball
To elevate those herbal notes, I infused The Epicurean Blended Malt with fresh basil leaves for a few hours. The Italian Lemon Soda is very refreshing and not overly sweet.
40ml Basil-infused The Epicurean Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Italian Lemon Soda
Basil Leaves for the infusion and extra for garnish
Lemon Wheel for garnish
Simply add plenty of basil in with the whisky and let it sit for 5–10hours. Once ready, strain well. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the infused whisky and top up with lemon soda. Give it a gentle stir. Garnish with extra basil leaves and a wheel of lemon.
Green Tea Highball
Green tea works well with The Epicurean flavour profile. If you’d like to add a little sweetness to the drink, add sugar to the green tea when first brewing it. Allow it to cool and measure into the drink.
50ml The Epicurean Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
50ml Green Tea, chilled
Soda Water
Lemon Peel for garnish
Put ice into a Highball glass. Measure all ingredients and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Green Tea & Basil Whisky Sour
As I had already infused some whisky, I thought it would match the green tea notes well in a sour. This time instead of using chilled tea, I made a much sweeter green tea syrup. If you need guidance on how to sweeten your cocktails, see my previous blog post The Essential Guide to Cocktail Sweeteners.
50ml Basil-infused The Epicurean Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
20ml Green Tea Syrup
Egg White or Vegan Alternative
Angostura Bitters
First shake all but bitters without ice. Then add ice into the shaker and shake again. Double strain into a cocktail glass and add a few drops of angostura bitters.
Basil & Passion Fruit Cocktail
This cocktail will brighten up your spring! The passion fruit liqueur I used is not overly sweet, more tangy, which is why I felt the need to add a touch of sugar syrup in the recipe. Feel free to skip that if the liqueur you have is sweeter.
45ml Basil-infused The Epicurean Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
20ml Passion Fruit Liqueur (I used Nunquam)
20ml Fresh lemon juice
10ml Yellow Chartreuse
10ml Sugar Syrup
Passion Fruit for garnish
Shake well with ice and strain into an ice-filled tumbler. Garnish with basil leaves and a passion fruit half.
Chocolatey Easter Cocktails with Scallywag
Scallywag, 46% ABV, is made using a blend of Speyside malts such as Mortlach, Macallan and Glenrothes. It has been matured in sherry butts. Expect vanilla, dried fruits and spices on the nose, dark fruits, dark chocolate, winter spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger…) and a touch of vanilla on the palate. It’s a great blended malt and lends itself to classic serves such as the Rob Roy, but it also adds to these chocolatey recipes.
I would also recommend checking out their limited-edition releases such as The Chocolate Editon (2024 one was finished in port casks) and the Winter Edition. The 2023 edition was aged in a combination of oloroso and PX sherry butts and the 2024 release had been finished in orange wine casks.
Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned
50ml Scallywag Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
10ml Orange Liqueur (I used Cointreau)
15ml Creamy Chocolate Liqueur (I used Bailey’s Chocolate Edition)
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 dash of Chocolate & Mace Flower Bitters (other chocolate bitters would work as well)
Orange Peel for garnish
Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled tumbler. Garnish.
Topical Chocolate Cocktail
This is dangerously delicious. The tropical notes with the chocolate and the spices from the whisky work together like magic. The fig liqueur basically tastes like coconut, so if you can’t find it, use a coconut liqueur instead.
40ml Scallywag Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
20ml Chocolate Liqueur (I used Bailey’s Chocolate Edition)
15ml Banana Liqueur
7.5ml Fig Leaf Liqueur (I used Nunquam)
Dash of Chocolate & Mace Bitters (chocolate bitters also work)
Shake all with ice and double strain into a coupe. No garnish necessary.
Smoky Cocktails with Big Peat
As you probably guessed, the Big Peat, 46% ABV, is a blend of Islay Malts such as Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Bowmore, even Port Ellen, and more. It is earthy, smoky and savoury, with a lovely sweetness coming through. Expect aromas of sweet malt, salty sea air, subtle coffee. The palate offers smoke, peanuts, sweet tar, spices and beach walk vibes. It is an Islay whisky, alright…
I am a huge fan of Big Peat and often sip it neat, but it also works amazingly in sours and with herbal liqueurs such as Yellow Chartreuse.
Smokin’ Word
I’ve come across this made with Mezcal and Green Chartreuse. And another version with whisky by Kyle Jamieson from Panda & Sons cocktail bar in Edinburgh. He used a single malt, but I think it’s the perfect template for Big Peat Blended Malt.
35ml Big Peat Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
20ml Yellow Chartreuse
20ml Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
Maraschino Cherry for garnish
Shake well with ice and double strain into a coupe. Garnish with cherry. I used The Starlino cherries, which are divine.
Smoky Marmalade Sour
50ml Big Peat Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
20ml Fresh Lemon Juice
10ml Sugar Syrup
1.5 barspoons of Marmalade
Egg White or Vegan Alternative
Orange wheel for garnish
Dry shake all ingredients. Add ice into the shaker and shake again. Strain into an ice-filled tumbler and garnish with a thin orange wheel.
Which one of these spring whisky cocktails is your favourite? Have you tried Remarkable Regional Malts?
Disclaimer: In paid collaboration with Douglas Laing. Some of the links used are affiliate links. If you buy through the links, I may receive a commission for the sale. This has no effect on the price for you.
