Looking for a timeless drink? Indulge in this Scotch on the rocks. This drink is a classic and showcases the rich and complex flavors of Scotch whiskey complimented by the chill of ice. With every sip you’ll experience a new depth and level of sophistication of your Scotch.

Scotch on the rocks with a lemon twist on a wooden table.

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🥃 What is a Scotch on the Rocks?
⭐ When to Make This Drink
📖 Variations
🥄 Equipment
📋 Ingredients
👩🏻‍🍳 Instructions
Recipe

🥃 What is a Scotch on the Rocks?

A scotch on the rocks is a traditional and easy to make cocktail that simply involves serving Scotch whiskey over ice and a rocks glass. You often see this drink served with a garnish such as a lemon or lime twist.

Drinks served on the rocks essentially just mean that you serve your liquor or liqueur with ice and a glass. It allows the flavor of the single ingredient to really shine through and be enjoyed in all its complexities.

Two benefits of serving drinks on the rocks are first that it allows the liquor to get chilled. And, secondly, it helps to dilute the liquor slightly as the ice melts.

If you like the taste of plain, smooth scotch, then you might also want to try out this Godfather drink which adds a dash of Amaretto.

Other single liquor drinks on the rocks that are popular include: amaretto on the rocks, whiskey on the rocks and brandy on the rocks.

There are several reasons why you should make Scotch on the rocks your drink of choice. Here are just a few:

Complex flavors. This drink really allows you to appreciate the depth and complexity that make up a good Scotch whiskey. Scotch whiskey offers a wide range of flavors from smoky to fruity to oaky.
Ease and elegance. Nothing’s easier than dropping a simple shot of liquor into a glass over ice. And, it still has a sense of refinement and sophistication.
Easy to sip. The best way to enjoy this drink is slow and deliberate sips. This really allows you to savor all the nuances of the different flavors in the drink. It’s a slow and easy to drink cocktail.

⭐ When to Make This Drink

It’s easy to make drink can be enjoyed on many various occasions. Here are just four instances where this drink shines through:

Cigar pairing events
After dinner drinks
Formal dinners or celebrations
Nightcap

📖 Variations

While there’s not much to do to change this drink up since it’s just one ingredient, here are a few things you may want to consider if you want to explore some different options:

Add a little water. If you’d like to dilute your Scotch just a smidge, you can add a dash of water to the drink before sipping.
Use large or craft ice. Using large ice cubes or circular craft ice helps to limit the melting time. This allows you to sip on the cocktail for longer without it getting too diluted.
- Add a garnish. You can add a little citrus twist to this drink by adding a lemon or lime wedge or twist. Or even adding a little squeeze of either juice to the top of the drink.
Change up the type of scotch. They’re actually a wide range of different types of scotch and each will have a slightly different way that it is made and flavor profile. You can vary the taste of the drink by changing out your scotch. Try some of these:
Single malt. This is usually produced in just one distillery using malted barley.
Blended Scotch. This is made from a blend of different batches made at different distilleries and can have a wide range of different flavors.
Single grain. This is made from one single grain that is not barley. It’s usually slightly lighter and sweeter than barley-based or malt whiskey.

🥄 Equipment

📋 Ingredients

2 oz Scotch
(optional) lemon twist
Ice

Bottle of scotch next to rocks glass with ice, shot glass and jigger.

👩🏻‍🍳 Instructions

Step one

Collect everything you’ll need including Scotch whiskey, rocks glass, ice, jigger and lemon twist if desired.

Step two

Grab some ice and toss it into the glass. The glass should be filled up to the top.

Step three

Pick up your Scotch of choice and measure out 2 oz with the jigger.

Pouring scotch from a jigger into a rocks glass.

Step four

Take your 2 oz in the jigger and for it directly into the glass over the ice.

Step Five

If you’d like to add a garnish you should do so now. Take a lemon and cut it into wheels. Then, take one wheel and remove all the pulp off the peel.

Slice the remaining peel so that it is a straight line. Then, carefully wrap it around a cocktail pic and hold for a few seconds. When you remove it it should stay in a twisted shape.

Recipe

Scotch on the Rocks

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 2

Course Drinks

Servings

Equipment

jigger
Rocks glass

Ingredients

2 oz Scotch
Lemon twist
Ice

Instructions

Start out by filling your rocks glass up with ice.
Next, if you add an optional lemon twist, get that made:
1) Cut a lemon into wheels.
2) Take one wheel and cut all the pulp off the peel.
3) Cut the wheel in one spot so that it is a single line.
4) Scrape all the rest of the pulp off.
5) Take a cocktail pick and wrap the peel around it in a spiral and hold for around 30 seconds.
6) Remove peel from pick and it will stay twisted.
Pick up the scotch and the jigger. Pour 2 oz of scotch into the jigger. Then, dump the scotch into the glass.
Add the lemon twist to the rim of the glass.

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Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.