10 Absolute Best Whiskeys To Cook With

There are many ways to consume whiskey, such as on the rocks or in cocktails, but using it in the kitchen to help make your next meal can unlock flavors and elevate your food to new levels. What type of whiskey you use, however, can significantly affect the flavor of your dish. Because of this, Tasting Table has teamed up with bartender and mixologist Sam Greene from Twist & Bitters in Southern California to create a list of the absolute best whiskeys to cook with.

When cooking with whiskey, paying attention to the type you use is paramount. As Greene points out, “One of the reasons whiskey is so great for cooking is because you can add different flavors depending on what whiskey you choose.” For instance, if you’re aiming for a richer barbecue sauce, bourbon is a good option. If you need more spice in a dish, rye whiskey is your best bet. If you are looking for a smokier taste, try adding scotch. Additionally, price consideration is also important as the most expensive bottle of whiskey doesn’t always translate to the best ingredient for a dish.

All in all, whiskey is great to cook with because it is “interesting enough to elevate a lot of recipes (sorry, vodka) but not too funky that it will take over the main flavor,” Greene explains. With that in mind, here are the best whiskeys to add to your next recipe.

Nearly 250 years ago, Reverend Elijah Craig set about refining the barrel charring process to develop a new type of whiskey, which would later be known as bourbon. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey that has a mash makeup of at least 51% corn — and sometimes as much as 80% corn — and is aged in brand-new charred oak barrels. Today, the reverend is affectionately called the Father of Bourbon, and his time-honored methods are still used to this day. Over the years, master distillers have perfected an award-winning bourbon in the Elijah Craig lineup of whiskeys, dubbed Elijah Craig Small Batch.

Elijah Craig Small Batch is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that is not only loved by bourbon connoisseurs and casual whiskey fans but is also a great whiskey to cook with. According to Sam Greene, this bourbon hits the “sweet spot in terms of price and flavor/quality.” Stored in Level 3 charred oak barrels, Elijah Craig Small Batch provides a distinct flavor of warm spice and subtle smoke that is perfect for many recipes. Add it to your favorite barbecue sauce for a richer taste and smokier finish. Plus, given that a 750-milliliter bottle retails for around $28.99, if you botch the dish, “you’ll thank yourself that the more expensive Elijah Craig 12 year is still sitting on the bar cart for you to wash your tears down with,” Greene says.

Born on Wild Turkey Hill in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky in the late 1860s, Wild Turkey has been an American classic ever since. Part of the distillery’s success is due to Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, a member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Under Russell’s guidance, the brand introduced several high-quality whiskeys over the years, including its straight Wild Turkey Bourbon, also known as Wild Turkey 81, and its Wild Turkey 101. While both of these whiskeys are excellent to use in the kitchen, they have subtle differences to be aware of.

Wild Turkey 81 is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for at least five years in American White Oak Barrels with a deep No. 4 alligator char. Owing to the oak barrels, the whiskey offers hints of cherry and other spices that can help enhance recipes. Additionally, the whiskey’s notes of vanilla and caramel are well-balanced by its honey and orange finish, making it an excellent bourbon to use in a maple bourbon glaze.

Wild Turkey 101, on the other hand, is aged longer in charred oak barrels, giving it a more distinct character and flavor profile. Due to its 101 proof and high rye content, the whiskey provides hints of caramel and vanilla on the front end, and notes of oak and baking spices in the middle. Additionally, the bourbon has a deeper flavor of orange peels than Wild Turkey 81, which means Wild Turkey 101 is better for dishes that require an orange zest.

Balcones is relatively new to the whiskey scene, having been established only in 2008; however, since its creation, the brand has gone on to win numerous awards for its lineup of spirits, earning its spot on bar carts and liquor cabinets everywhere. While many of the whiskeys in this Texas-based distillery’s portfolio are worth trying, it’s the brand’s Baby Blue Whisky that is great to use when cooking.

Balcones Baby Blue, which is the first Texas whiskey released since Prohibition, is made from roasted blue corn -– an Indigenous food cultivated by the Hopi and Pueblo Native American tribes in the Southwest. Blue corn has a rich, sweet flavor and is traditionally used in Mexican dishes such as tamales and tlacoyos as well as in tortilla chips, cornbread, and pancake mix. Due to its blue corn base, Balcones Baby Blue offers notes of vanilla, melted butter, cinnamon, baking chocolate, and fresh ground coffee. The whiskey’s taste profile also provides hints of brown sugar, making it a great option for sweeter recipes such as desserts and baked goods. The spirit’s blue corn origin also makes it a perfect ingredient in many of the same Mexican dishes that use blue corn.

Four Roses may have started as a love story, but it has since grown into a massive brand that has earned a great reputation in the world of whiskey. Unlike other large distilleries, Four Roses features a small lineup of spirits, consisting of only four options for most of the year. While the brand’s straight Four Roses Bourbon is great for making cocktails and its Single Barrel variety is excellent for sipping, mixologist Sam Greene recommends using Four Roses Small Batch in the kitchen.

Four Roses Small Batch is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for six to seven years in oak barrels stored in a single-story rack warehouse. The bourbon is steeped in notes of red berries and dried spices, and it offers a tasting profile of sweet oak and caramel. The finish is also smooth and soft, making it one of the best mixing whiskeys on the market.

Four Roses Small Batch is a great addition to the kitchen because, as Greene points out, the bourbon has “rich, robust flavors that will shine in your recipe of choice.” What this means is that adding Four Roses Small Batch to your recipe will provide its own set of flavors without overpowering the natural flavors of the dish.

With its distinct red wax-sealed cap and unique bottle shape, Maker’s Mark Bourbon is easily one of the most recognizable whiskeys on this list. The brand’s notoriety is well earned given its excellent lineup of whiskeys. From the distillery’s Maker’s Mark 46, which is aged longer in special seared French oak staves, to its Private Selection Whisky, Maker’s Mark is a powerhouse in the world of whiskey. Still, when it comes to cooking, sticking with the brand’s tried and true signature Maker’s Mark Bourbon is the way to go.

As Sam Greene highlighted earlier, price consideration is an important factor when picking whiskeys for the kitchen. Maker’s Mark does offer better, higher-end whiskeys; however, in many cases, the subtle differences in price points are lost in cooking. Additionally, since Maker’s Mark Bourbon retails for around $29.99, like the Elijah Craig Small Batch, if you botch the dish, you won’t waste an expensive whiskey.

It isn’t just the price point that makes Maker’s Mark Bourbon a great cooking whiskey. It’s the spirit’s taste profile as well. The whiskey offers an aroma of oak, vanilla, and wheat, and it provides a sweet profile of balanced oak and fruity essence. You might even notice a creamy finish with soft spice. What all this amounts to is an excellent whiskey that can truly help enhance the flavors of a particular dish for a decent price. Add it to your next old fashioned bundt cake recipe and watch the magic happen.

Although Elijah Craig may be known as the Father of Bourbon, we can thank the founder of Old Forester for bottling the beloved drink. Before George Garvin Brown had the genius idea of sealing his spirits in glass bottles to guarantee consistency and quality, bourbon was largely sold in casks, barrels, and kegs. As you can imagine, such storage devices often led to issues with quality. Bottled bourbon wasn’t the only thing Brown contributed to the world, however, as his Old Forester whiskey is still around to this day.

When looking at the lineup of Old Forester’s brand of whiskey, there is one clear winner for the kitchen — Old Forester 100 Bourbon. Advertised as a bartender’s favorite whiskey, Old Forester 100 is a complex bourbon at a decent price (typically selling for around $28 for a 750-milliliter bottle). The whiskey is handpicked from select barrels and is bottled at 100-proof to retain its distinct character. Additionally, the higher proof is great for the kitchen because alcohol tends to partially evaporate when you cook with it. Among the tips for cooking with bourbon, it’s worth noting that bourbon itself offers a spicy and robust flavor profile with hints of apple, toasted oak, and spices like clove and nutmeg. Because of that, you have yourself a great cooking whiskey.

Over the years, bourbon has earned its title as America’s whiskey; however, it was far from the nation’s first whiskey. Rye whiskey was created in Pennsylvania in the middle half of the 1700s. Although not nearly as popular as bourbon, rye whiskey still holds a special place in the hearts of many whiskey fans, and it is especially useful in the kitchen.

The Rittenhouse brand has long been associated with rye whiskey, so much so that it became known as the Choice Pennsylvania Rye, after it hit the market in 1934. After falling out of favor over the years, rye whiskey made a sharp comeback in the early 2000s with craft bartenders turning to out-of-print cocktail books for inspiration. Among the many brands of rye whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye became one of the premiere favorites. Not only is Rittenhouse Rye excellent in cocktails, but it is also great for cooking.

Depending on your recipe, mixologist Sam Greene recommends staying away from “rich and sweet bourbons,” and gravitating instead toward “something more spicy like a rye whiskey.” The chief difference between bourbon and rye whiskey is the mash makeup –- the latter calling for at least a 51% rye mash composition compared with bourbon, which uses more corn mash. This results in an earthier taste profile that offers a spicier kick than most bourbons. Rittenhouse Rye is no exception. If your recipe calls for more spice, then reaching for a bottle of Rittenhouse is your best bet.

Evan Williams opened the first commercial distillery in Kentucky in 1783 and then put his heart and soul into the brand, developing whiskey distilling techniques still utilized to this day. The Evan Williams brand includes a long list of bourbons, seasonal spirits, and even gourmet sauces and spices. If you are looking for a great whiskey to cook with, then look no further than Evan Williams Single Barrel.

In the world of whiskey, single barrel refers to whiskey aged in one barrel rather than multiple barrels. Because the barrel that the whiskey is aged in gives the spirit its color and taste, single-barrel whiskeys typically offer unique flavors that aren’t likely to be replicated in further batches. This means single-barrel whiskeys are often a little pricier, owing to their unique nature. While Evan Williams Single Barrel does retail for around $39.99 – slightly higher than the $16.99 price point for the straight Evan Williams Bourbon –- it is still a fairly affordable price perfect for the kitchen.

Handcrafted by master distillers, Evan Williams Single Barrel is a five-time Whiskey of the Year winner, making it one of the most decorated bourbons in the brand’s lineup. The whiskey features a lush and spicy taste with notes of apple, orange, and oak with honey. The aroma provides hints of dark caramel, charred wood, and sweet oak. The aroma and taste profile of Evan Williams Single Barrel makes it a great addition to meat marinades, wing sauces, and more.

Tennessee whiskey is different from other bourbons because it requires an extra step called the Lincoln County Process before it gets stored in barrels. The process calls for the Tennessee whiskey to be filtered through maple charcoal, which helps give the spirit its smooth texture and flavor. While there are many brands of Tennessee whiskey on the market, one in particular is great to use in the kitchen.

Without a doubt, Jack Daniels Old No. 7, also known as Jack Daniels Black, is one of the most popular whiskeys in the world. It is the stuff of legends, and it has been the preferred spirit of movie stars and rock stars over the decades. Old No. 7 is so well known that it even has its own cocktail, called the Jack and Coke (part Coca-Cola and part Jack Daniels). However, there is also another use for Jack Daniels Black that is often overlooked –- it is a great cooking whiskey.

That’s because Jack Daniels Old No. 7 has a sweet oaky and caramel flavor that pairs well with plenty of dishes, including many barbecue recipes. The whiskey is also fairly inexpensive, retailing for around $15.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle. The internet is filled with recipes that utilize the spirit, including ribs, baked beans, chili, glazed carrots, and even fudge. While Jack Daniels Old No. 7 may not be the best whiskey on the market, it still deserves a place in your kitchen cabinet.

For over 200 years, Old Overholt has been a staple of the rye whiskey scene in America. It holds the title of the country’s oldest continuously maintained whiskey brand. Old Overholt reached national brand status by 1900 and was once the largest brand in the nation. It was the favorite drink of gunslingers such as Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday as well as the preferred spirit of both Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ulysses S. Grant. Although falling out of favor by the 1960s, Old Overholt and rye whiskey in general have both seen a resurgence in popularity.

Old Overholt is a straight rye whiskey that is aged for four years and sports an 86-proof alcohol content. The whiskey boasts notes of deep dark fruits and rich spices as well as aromas of vanilla and pepper mixed with fruit. The finish is full-bodied, well-balanced, and flavorful. While Old Overholt makes for a great cocktail, it is also excellent when cooking in the kitchen.

As mixologist Sam Greene has mentioned, sometimes your recipe calls for more spice. Instead of adding a sweeter bourbon to the mix, opting for a spicier rye whiskey is your best bet. For instance, add rye whiskey to your next stir-fry to help raise the spice level. You can even experiment by adding rye whiskey to a batch of chocolate chip cookies to make a whiskey lover’s dream dessert. Whatever recipe you try, Old Overholt can “give your next dinner that special kick,” Greene says.