Tip Top Whiskey Classics

Whiskey Classics from TIP TOP is a ready-to-drink product, so the cocktail work is already done. The details on file don't give the base whiskey, the ABV, the origin or the exact recipes. What follows is what you can expect from a pre-mixed whiskey cocktail, not a measured profile of this one. Check the label for the specific drinks and strength. Pre-mixed whiskey classics usually follow the Old Fashioned, Manhattan or Whiskey Sour template. The first two lean on whiskey, sugar and bitters, with sweet vermouth in the Manhattan. Expect oak, vanilla and caramel sweetness with a light baking-spice edge. A sour-style bottle would swap that for lemon-driven tartness. Which of these profiles applies depends on the recipe printed on the container. Serving is simple because the dilution is already built in. Stirred-style drinks like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan are best well chilled, either from the fridge or over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. A big cube melts slowly and keeps the sweetness from turning watery. A Manhattan-style mix is traditionally served up, so a chilled coupe or stemmed cocktail glass suits it. A sour-style mix works over ice in a rocks glass or tall over ice with a splash of soda for a lighter, highball-like drink. A twist of orange peel on an Old Fashioned or Manhattan, or a lemon wedge on a sour, brings back the fresh citrus oils that bottled cocktails often lack. A Glencairn isn't the right glass here, because it is made for nosing neat whiskey. Use a rocks glass for sipping.