Whisky Mac
Blended Scotch and green ginger wine, poured with no ice. Warming, gingery and quick to make.
- Time
- 2 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Rocks glass
- Strength
- 2.3 UK units
How to make a Whisky Mac
- Warm the glass. Rinse a small tumbler with hot water from the kettle, then tip it out. A warm glass makes the ginger smell stronger. This step is optional.
- Pour the whisky. Pour the Scotch into the glass.
- Add the ginger wine. Pour in the green ginger wine. Use 25 ml for a drier drink, or up to 50 ml for an equal-parts, sweeter one.
- Stir and serve. Stir once with a bar spoon so the two blend, then serve without ice. Sip slowly.
- Glass
- Rocks glassNo rocks glass? A small wine glass.
- Ice
- No ice
- Garnish
- None, served plainOr: A thin lemon twist.
What you need to make a Whisky Mac
Bottles we'd use
- Green ginger wineStone's Original Green Ginger Wine is the usual choice, widely sold in UK supermarkets.Find it on Amazon
- A blended ScotchFamous Grouse, Dewar's White Label or Monkey Shoulder. Avoid anything heavily peated.Find it on Amazon
Links to Amazon are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Bar Bandol may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Whisky Mac variations and swaps
For a hot Whisky Mac, pour the Scotch and ginger wine into a heatproof glass and top with 50 to 75 ml of just-boiled water. Over ice in a rocks glass it is milder and longer. A thin twist of lemon, or a squeeze of lemon juice, cuts the sweetness. Replace the Scotch with Irish whiskey for a softer drink, or with bourbon for something sweeter. A dash of Angostura bitters adds spice. Go to 3:1 whisky to ginger wine for a very dry drink.
The Whisky Mac story
The Whisky Mac pairs Scotch with green ginger wine, an old British combination for cold days. Several origin stories exist, usually involving a British Army officer, and none can be proved. Green ginger wine is a sweet wine-based drink flavoured with ginger, and it is what gives the drink its spicy warmth.
No ice is traditional, so it is a drink to sip slowly from a small glass. Equal parts is sweet and gingery. Two parts whisky to one part ginger wine is drier and tastes more of the Scotch. Use a blended Scotch that is not too peaty, as heavy smoke clashes with the ginger.
Whisky Mac: your questions answered
What is in a Whisky Mac?
A Whisky Mac is made with 50 ml Blended Scotch whisky and 25 ml green ginger wine. Garnish: none, served plain.
How strong is a Whisky Mac?
Made to this recipe, a Whisky Mac contains about 2.3 UK units of alcohol per drink. That is worked out from typical bottle strengths, so it changes with the bottles you use. UK guidelines advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week.
What glass do you serve a Whisky Mac in?
Serve a Whisky Mac in a rocks glass. No rocks glass? A small wine glass.
