Cocktails with Peated single malt whisky

Peated single malt whisky is a single malt Scotch made from barley dried over burning peat, which gives the spirit its trademark smoky, phenolic character.

ABV40–46%

Substitutes for Peated single malt whisky

There’s no real substitute for the smoke — it’s the whole point of choosing this whisky. For body and proof, any 40%+ single malt works, but for the peat character stick within the peated family (a lighter Highland peated malt instead of a heavily peated Islay one, for a gentler smoke).

Often confused with

Unpeated single malt whisky

Same barley, same distillery, only the malt is kilned without peat. In a smoky highball the one thing the drink was built around is gone, and the only fix is the bottle you have not got — so pour it as a different, gentler drink rather than a repaired one.

Blended malt / blended Scotch whisky

A blend across several distilleries, and blended Scotch adds light grain on top of that. The smoke is diluted into the background: the cocktail comes out softer and more even; the peat stops leading.