Not Your Classic: Banana Whisky Sour
It’s hard to reinvent the wheel these days when creating cocktails.
With so many classics, modern interpretations, and techniques already explored, coming up with something that feels completely new can seem almost impossible.
But I don’t think creating a new cocktail means you have to forget the classics.
They’re some of our best tools for inspiration.
A Whisky Sour can teach us about balance, an Old Fashioned can show us how a few simple ingredients can create incredible depth, and both can give us a framework for understanding what works… and, just as importantly… what doesn’t.
The classics give us a starting point rather than a set of rules. We can take a familiar structure, change the spirit, introduce a new flavour, adjust the balance, or combine elements from two different cocktails to create something that feels entirely our own.
And let’s be honest, we all have a classic cocktail or two that we absolutely can’t stand, right?
Even those have something to teach us.
Sometimes knowing what you don’t like is just as valuable as knowing what you do.
For me, the most interesting cocktails often come from that process: starting with something familiar, understanding why it works, and then pushing it somewhere new.
The Cocktail
Think of the two most iconic whisky cocktails, the Old Fashioned and the Whisky Sour, having a baby.
The result is zesty and aromatic, with depth from the whisky and richness and texture from the banana liqueur. The banana also plays beautifully with the fruity notes of the Classic Laddie, bringing the two together in a cocktail that feels familiar, yet completely its own.
Bringing it all together:
- Build the cocktail: Start with 40ml of Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie in a mixing glass.
This is the foundation of the cocktail, so we wanted a whisky with enough character to stand up to the richer banana notes while still bringing freshness and lift.
The Classic Laddie is Bruichladdich’s signature unpeated Islay single malt, known for its clean, fresh and lively character, with a beautiful combination of citrus, floral and fruity notes alongside sweet oak and malt. - Bring in the banana: Add 20ml of Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane. What makes this liqueur particularly cool is the style of banana it brings to the cocktail. Rather than tasting like confectionery or artificial banana, it gives you a rich, caramelised banana character. That makes it incredibly easy to pair with whisky and adds both sweetness and texture to the drink.
- Add the acidity: Pour in 10ml of verjuice. If you haven’t come across it before, verjuice is the fresh, tart juice of unripe grapes. It gives the cocktail acidity and brightness, but with a softer, more rounded character than traditional lemon juice.
- Adjust with Supasawa: Add 1 dash of Supasawa. We’ve used Supasawa in some of our recipes before, but if you’re not familiar with it, you can find out more here.
It adds another layer of acidity and helps bring the sweetness of the banana and the character of the whisky into balance. - Stir with ice: Fill the mixing glass with ice and stir until the cocktail is thoroughly chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain and serve: Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve over a large cube of ice.
The large cube keeps the cocktail cold while slowing down dilution, allowing the flavours to evolve as you drink. - Garnish and enjoy: Express a lemon peel over the cocktail, then use the peel as your garnish. The bright citrus aroma ties back to the natural citrus character of the Classic Laddie and gives the cocktail a long, fresh finish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Time Flies is for anyone who loves a good Whisky Sour or Old Fashioned but wants to try something a little different. It takes the best parts of both classics and adds a delicious caramelised banana twist. The result is rich, fruity and full of flavour, but still fresh and balanced enough to keep you coming back for another sip.
It’s also a fantastic cocktail to serve when friends come over. This cocktail makes a great aperitif before dinner, and it’s surprisingly easy to batch ahead of time. Simply combine all the ingredients, keep the mixture chilled in the fridge, then pour it over a large ice cube and give it a gentle stir directly in the glass.
No complicated shaking, no last-minute prep, just a delicious cocktail ready to go.
It’s the kind of drink that looks impressive, tastes even better, and makes you look like a cocktail wizard without having to spend the whole night behind the bar.
Now it’s your turn to give this a try!
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Let us know what you’d like to see in the next recipe!
