WHISKEY HAPPINESS SERVED TODAY

Make yourself a happy whiskey cocktail in the comfort of your own home. With simple recipes, it’s just that easy and fun.

Enjoy the first cocktail dedicated to rye whiskey; it’s a bitter-sour concoction that offers pastis, bitters, and a bit of champagne. ‘Sea Captain’s Special’ is made with 1 dash of bitters, 1 dash of pastis, 1 part rye whiskey, and a bit of champagne. Fill a rocks glass with ice cubes, add bitters, pastis, and rye whiskey. Top it off with champagne and enjoy.

For a classic drink that dates all the way back to 1875, try the ‘Suburban.’ It’s made with 3 parts bourbon, 1 part dark rum, 1 part port, angostura bitters, and ice cubes. In a cocktail shaker (quarter filled with ice), add the angostura bitters, port, rum, and then whiskey. Screw the lid on the cocktail shaker and shake it vigorously for 15 seconds. Once it is blended to perfection, add 3 ice cubes to your old-fashioned bar glass, and pour your drink into this. Don’t fill the glass all the way up; leave about 2 inches of space at the top. Enjoy.

Knock the socks off of your friends with ‘Smoke Signals.’ It’s made with 2 c. pecan or hickory wood chips, ice, ½ c. sugar, ½ c. coarsely chopped toasted pecans, 10 tablespoons Jack Daniel’s, 6 tablespoons amontillado Sherry, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Line a big pot with heavy-duty foil; sprinkle wood ships over bottom of pot and cover. Turn fan on; heat pot over high heat until smoke begins to form inside pot. Fill a medium-sized metal loaf pan with ice, place in pot and cover tightly. Smoke ice until just melted (5 minutes), remove from heat, cool slightly, and then cover loaf pan with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm (6 hours); using an ice pick, cut ice block crosswise into 4 large smoked ice chunks; wrap in plastic and keep frozen. Bring 1 c. of water and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, add pecans; reduce heat to medium until syrup tastes like pecans (12 minutes). Strain, discard pecans; cover and chill pecan syrup for 2 hours. Place 5 tablespoons whiskey, 3 tablespoons sherry, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons pecan syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice cubes, cover, and shake until cold. Divide mixture between two glasses. Repeat with remaining 5 tablespoons whiskey, 3 tablespoons sherry, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons pecan syrup, and ice. Place 1 smoked ice chunk in each glass and serve.