Bitter 'n' Twisted

It's been said (at least, I've said) that whisky drinks ought usually to be left for the end of evening, when the carousing and revelry have evolved into a more thoughtful and reflective state. So when my Scotch-loving friend T suggested I set about making some whisky cocktails within the first hour of arriving for Supper I confess I paused for a good couple of seconds before lunging for his cocktail shaker.

The Bitter 'n' Twisted was inspired (stolen) from the Scotch Whisky Assocation's library of recipes, although here I upped the whisky content by 5ml for reasons of efficiency.

In the past I've used the good stuff for whisky cocktails, but I'm beginning to understand there are times when a robust blend of malts and grains will do the job just fine. Here I used Bell's.

30ml (1oz) Scotch whisky

Few drops of lemon juice

Two dashes Angostura bitters

60ml (2oz) ginger ale

Lemon slice

Pour the whisky, lemon juice, Angostura bitters and ginger ale into a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir well. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon slice.

This drink was well received, and not just by me. You could serve it on the rocks if you liked, but I reckon it worked well simply chilled: a perfect aperitif for a Night of Whisky.