So, you've got an expensive bottle...

And now you're afraid to open it?

Perfect, you clicked the right video. I get  this question all the time. People don't want  

to "waste" a luxury bottle in cocktails or they  only take it out for very special occasions.  

But the whole point of spirits like this is  to enjoy them, not to let them gather dust.

So, today I'll help you find a special occasion to open an expensive bottle,

give you four simple, elegant ways to enjoy it.

Then I'll show you something you haven't seen before.

Life is short, so don't wait for a special occasion.

Make opening that fancy bottle *the* special occasion.

And after you finally decide to do that...

I think the best way to enjoy it is neat.  I'll be using scotch for the examples,  

but the same tips work for other spirits and even wine. You just serve them a little  

differently. Come with me. I want to enjoy this in a more comfortable setting.

When you taste whiskey neat you really get to know its character.

It shows you what a spirit is all about and it 

gives you a feel for how  it could work in cocktails.

For full transparency - I'm not a spirit sommelier, but this is how I do it.

I start with the color. Just tilt it a bit and see how the light changes it. 

Try to find white background because  in this way you'll see the true color.  

Well, this is hard in this studio  because everything is quite dark.

With, let's say, brown-golden color.

And then let's go to the aroma.

Smell with your mouth slightly open. It brings in 

more air and makes it easier  to pick out different layers.

Rich, full bodied, slightly  floral with heather petals...

Dehydrated fruits like pears, plums...

And in general quite matured.

A few more breaths and then a small sip. Let  the spirit move around in your whole mouth.

Feel the texture and how it coats everything. Then swallow and breathe out.

That's when a lot of the aroma comes back. Subtle smoke, rich in taste,

nicely rippened and dehydrated fruits,

honey, butterscotch.

Lovely whiskey. I like to do this once or  twice more. Then I focus on the aftertaste,  

how long it stays and what  kind of notes it brings.

Warm, long-lasting aftertaste that lingers on your tongue.

Another way to try it is with a few drops of water. Just a little bit.

That's enough to lower the alcohol strength  and open things up. Give it another smell.

You'll  notice some different layers now. 

Some things get softer and  some show up more clearly.

With a slightly lower ABV. There's more fruitiness  coming through that which dehydrated fruits,  

like I said before, plums, pears, maybe it's slight peaches as well.

That's what I'm tasting more here. The change is similar when you sip it.

After you've done all that,  don't  forget the most important part.

Take your time to really enjoy it.

Some people also like the whiskey  on the rocks. That's fine,  

but just know that ice cools the spirit down

and that can hide some of  the flavors. But if that's  

your favorite way to drink it, enjoy it this way.

Speaking of special occasions, we have one today. We are adding a new name to our wall of fame.

Thank you, Alisa Calvo, for joining  our top tier on Patreon. 

Quick tip, if you need a last minute gift idea,

you can give a Cocktail Time Patreon membership to someone that loves cocktails.

On to one of my favorite ways  to enjoy whiskey, a simple 

Highball. Perfect for when you  want something lighter.

Don't be afraid to add soda to your whiskey. Only a good whiskey makes a good Highball.

Remember that. Cold whiskey with  this one that keeps the bubbles in.

Start with a chilled glass and quality ice. I like a 2:1 ratio of soda to whiskey.

If this becomes your favorite  way to enjoy whiskey you can 

even keep the bottle in the  fridge for extra cold Highballs.

I also add saline solution. A small amount goes a long way to boost the flavors, just like in  

cooking, Pour the soda gently so don't lose the  bubbles. Use a scale if you want to be precise.

One small stir is enough. For a garnish, I like  a small circle of citrus peel. Lemon is usually  

my go-to, but you can go with orange, grapefruit,  or even tangerine for a more festive feel. Some  

people like to top their whiskey with still water instead. That's fine too, but I like the bubbles -

they lift everything and keep it frefreshing.

Now this is my kind of a drink. Cheers.

Light, refreshing, but still bold  in in terms of flavor and aroma.

Yeah, much more drinkable, especially  during, let's say warmer days,

But with a tangerine peel  like in this one, it fits well 

with the festive season as well.

I love this drink. Light, refreshing, lower ABV...

Just perfect.

If you want something a  bit richer an Old Fashioned 

is a great way to enjoy a good whisky.

The Old Fashioned comes from a time when  whiskey was rougher, so people added sugar,  

bitters, and a little warm water to smooth it out. With good whiskey today I'm not hiding anything.

This is adding balanced layers  and letting the spirit shine.

To do that, I'm using aromatic bitters, a little rich syrup, and a bit of saline.

Stir with plenty of ice in a mixing glass. Then strain into a chilled rocks glass.

I love using these spheres.

The classic garnish is to  express the essential oils 

from an orange peel over the  cocktail and place it in.

But today I got something special.

This is Witch Blood by TAVMA. A cocktail perfume made in small batches.

It adds aroma to your drink without changing the balance or sweetness.

A light spray sits on top of the cocktail and stays with you for the whole drink.

It's a bridge between mixology and perfumery. Witch Blood has warm notes of cinnamon, ginger,

a maple-like sweetness, and  a touch of smoke, so it fits 

perfectly with a festive  whiskey cocktail like this one.

Using it is easy. Shake the  bottle, hold it away from 

the cocktail, then give it  one or two light sprays.

That's all you need. If  you want to try Witch Blood 

or give it to someone as a gift,

use the code KEVIN10 at TAVMA.co. Let's try an Old Fashioned.

I love this smell. One spray  of TAVMA goes a long way. 

Beautiful aroma of cinnamon,  warm spices, ginger. Lovely.

To be honest, I think this is one of the best Old Fashioneds I've ever had. Amazing.

Cinnamon, this festive spices go super well  

with the whisky we used, so Chivas 18 here. It goes together with caramel notes, honey notes,  

this floralness, well balanced with sweetness,  an amazing Old Fashioned. Please try it.

For the final elevated  cocktail, I wanted something 

that really feels like the holidays

…and nothing says that more than panettone. A flavor pairing like you’ve never seen before. 

I’ll make a Scotch classic with an Italian  twist, so I’m calling it ‘Roberto Roy’. 

It all starts with panettone whisky, which you’ll  see how to make in a second. This tastes amazing,  

and it also bridges the Scotch whisky  and the Italian sweet vermouth. 

I’m going with orange bitters for this  one, it just feels like the right pairing. 

Saline to boost all the flavor, then add ice  and stir until it’s mixed, chilled and diluted. 

Strain it into a chilled stemmed glass. For garnish I’ll add a small slice of  

fresh panettone… and of course  a spray of Witch Blood by TAVMA. 

Like a festive season in a glass. Now let's try this festive cocktail, Roberto Roy. 

Nice on the smell with plenty of spices...

But then panettone comes through with the wine notes, aromatics from bitters and vermouth.

All tastes are nicely layered, one on top of each other. So, none of them are peaking through, which is great.

There's not too much panettone,  not too much spices. 

Nice little dessert. 

Now… I’ll show you something  you haven’t seen before,

because this technique wasn’t used for  anything other than coffee before. 

Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong. I did something similar a few years ago with  

a donut. For that I blended a donut directly  into the whiskey, clarified it with milk,  

before making the Donut Old Fashioned. But today’s process was inspired  

more by the Clear Espresso Martini. For that one I used a fat-washing technique to add  

coffee flavor into vodka. That made it possible  to create this colorless Espresso Martini. 

So first I need some oil and a good  panettone. It can have many different  

aromas and flavors. This one is tiramisu-flavored. The fat in the oil is what works as a bridge that  

carries all those flavors into our whisky. First, I dry the panettone. If you have  

leftovers from the holidays that’s perfect.  If it’s fresh, you can let it dry out,  

or speed it up in the oven or a dehydrator. Next, blend it with a neutral oil. I’m using  

sunflower oil, because it doesn’t  bring much flavor on its own. 

Then I strain it through a paper towel cone in a  Chemex. A regular coffee filter might block the  

flow, so this works better. Here’s a fun detail:  

sugar doesn’t dissolve in oil. That means this won’t make our  

whisky sweet – we’re only pulling the flavors. So  now we have what could be called panettone oil. 

Mix that with our whisky in a sous-vide bag and seal it.

Using a sous vide will make the process of flavoring whisky faster and more controlled.

After 2 hours, let it cool down, then put it in the freezer. As it chills, the fat sets  

on top and separates from the whisky. After a day it’s time to strain the whisky,  

this time using a coffee filter. I like  to keep the Chemex in the fridge for this,  

so the fat doesn’t melt back into the liquid. After a few hours you’ll end up with panettone  

whisky. Unlike the Donut Old Fashioned,  this doesn’t get cloudy when chilled,  

because we removed all of the fats. When you try it neat, it’s like you  

just took a bite of panettone. It’s crazy.

It makes an amazing festive Old Fashioned, but the Roberto Roy was delicious too.

I’m sure you’ll find ways to enjoy it this festive season. Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails.