9 Refreshing Whiskey Cocktails to Sip All Summer Long

This brooding brown spirit can still be enjoyed during the dog days.

Of whiskey’s many natural gifts—and we could go on and on—being a refreshing summer drink isn’t necessarily among them.

Picture yourself at the pool bar of a resort, looking at the cocktail menu. There’s lots of rum, of course (these places are practically temples to rum), and ample tequila, gin and vodka, but whiskey? The resonant woody punch of a good bourbon or rye, the very thing fans of the spirit most enjoy, is much more at home sipped slowly by a fire than it is taken through a straw at the beach. “The dark heavy flavors of oak and vanilla and baking spices are all cigars and deep leather chairs,” we’ve written of whiskey, “and getting it to play nice with lemon juice and sunshine is like getting a bear to wear a hat.”

That, perhaps, is what makes refreshing whiskey drinks so satisfying when they work, and so enduringly popular. They are reliably among the top sellers on any given list, regardless of season, and can be a fantastic showcase the skill of a particular bar or bartender: Sometimes whiskey needs a big flavor like ginger to stand up to it, as seen in the Kentucky Buck or the Penicillin, but other times, like with the Whiskey Smash, all you need is a hit of lemon zest and touch of mint.

No matter how you put it together, whether it’s a simple and artfully composed Japanese Highball or an explosively flavorful Paper Plane, here are nine whiskey drinks designed to see you through the summer.

Mint Julep

Don’t be fooled by the Mint Julep. Its campaign materials may have you convinced it’s just a harmless little minty refresher, but in reality it’s nearly a double-pour of bourbon, tempered only by mint and a touch of sugar. Nonetheless, some 120,000 Mint Juleps are consumed across two sunny days at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby, proving that some cocktails can become refreshing daytime summer sippers just by sheer force of will, and a little crushed ice. Find out the best bourbon to use for your Mint Julep here, or if the race is about to start, quickly fix one up according to the recipe below.

–2.5 oz. bourbon
–0.5 oz.-0.75 oz simple syrup (to taste)
–10-12 mint leaves

In a metal cup, gently muddle the mint into the simple syrup. Add bourbon, and fill 2/3 with crushed ice. Stir to chill, until a frost forms on the outside. Then pack the rest of the cup with ice. Take two mint crowns, lightly bruise them with your fingers, and stick them against the inside close to the straw. Enjoy.