The holiday season is fast approaching – and although we can’t go gift shopping on your behalf or order the turkey, we can suggest some great whisky cocktail recipes to try at your Friendmas gathering/Christmas lunch/end of year work party. Now is the time to go further for flavour and try some super fun, festive and downright easy drinks that everyone will love. Ahead is a curated list of our favourite recipes with entertaining in mind. Shakers at the ready!

Mango Whisky Slushie

Starward says
Speaking specifically to a southern hemisphere holiday season, the weather forecast is looking warm (thanks to El Niño) – so any cocktail that involves a generous serving of crushed ice (and a summery mango addition) is a winner in our books. Try making your sugar syrup ahead of time if you don’t want to buy Simple Syrup: the most common ratio is equal parts water to sugar. 

Ingredients
40mL (1.3 oz) Starward Two-Fold
25mL (0.8 oz) lime juice
20mL (0.6 oz) sugar syrup
15mL (0.5) Cointreau
Mango cheek

Pull it all together
Blend all the ingredients and don’t hold back on the crushed ice while you do it. The perfect consistency is so light and fluffy that the mixture can create peaks. Not peaking? Add more ice. Pour into your favourite whisky glasses and enjoy.

A Pina Colada feat. Solera
If you like Pina Coladas …

Starward says
A fun, and in our opinion more flavoursome, twist on a classic, this Pina Colada is the perfect welcome drink for your backyard soiree. The coconut and pineapple soda complements the sweet spice of Solera really nicely. Verjus is kind of like a vinegar and grape juice hybrid, made from the juice of unripened wine grapes, and easy enough to locate at your local grocery store. We have a feeling you’ll like this cocktail… getting caught in the rain while drinking it is optional.

Ingredients
50mL (1.6 oz) Coco Washed Starward Solera
60mL (2 oz) Pineapple soda
20mL (0.6 oz) Verjus
10mL (0.3 oz) Sugar coconut piece

Pull it all together
Place your ingredients into a glass or a shaker, give everything good a stir and add some ice; garnish it with coconut and enjoy!

The Starward Spritz

Starward says
Grapefruit and whisky? It’s a beautiful thing. The bitterness of the grapefruit keeps this easy-sipping and versatile spritz crisp and zesty – the perfect drink to cut through a hot summer’s day. We also love the addition of the rosé vermouth which gives this an unexpected hint of sweetness and floral notes.

Ingredients
30mL (1 oz) Starward Two-Fold
30mL (1 oz) Rosé vermouth
90mL (3 oz) Grapefruit juice or soda
Grapefruit wedge and mint sprig 

Pull it all together
Combine the Starward Two-Fold, rosé vermouth and grapefruit juice or soda in a wine glass filled with ice and stir. Garnish with mint, sip and enjoy.

A Two-Fold Strawberry Whisky Cocktail Jug

Starward says
Making a cocktail for the masses? We’ve got you. This next recipe will make roughly a liter of the good stuff to serve your party guests as they arrive – they can even help themselves if you’re too busy cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to make it ahead of time and ensure you have plenty of ice on hand as well.   

Ingredients
300mL (10 oz) Starward Two-Fold
150mL (5 oz) Lychee liqueur
200mL (6.7 oz) Sparkling wine (any will do!)
100mL (3.3 oz) Strawberry syrup
150mL (5 oz) Verjus

Pull it all together
Put it all in a jug, stir it and add ice. That’s literally it.

A Two-Fold Passionfruit Cocktail Jug

Starward says
Another recipe for when you’re serving cocktails to multiple guests, at once. This should make you approximately one liter of passionfruit-meets-whisky liquid magic. We love the fizz from the pineapple soda and the sweetness of the passionfruit – both of which play nicely with Starward Two-Fold’s tropical fruit notes.

Ingredients
300ml (10 oz) Starward Two-Fold
100ml (3.3 oz) Passionfruit
200ml (6.7 oz) Lemon juice
350ml (11 oz) Pineapple soda
1 Vanilla bean