** 1 Part Whiskey + 1 Part Whiskey + 1 Part Whiskey = Your New Favorite Cocktail**

There’s something alchemical going on in this cocktail: Old Overholt, Jack, and Johnnie, equal parts, over ice. No bitters, no twist. No artisanal tonic water. And somehow, improbably, almost magically, it’s a revelation. (At Brooklyn’s Five Leaves, they call it Whiskey in a Jar.) All of the subtle flavors that differentiate scotch and rye get drowned out, and all that’s left is the point of overlap—the harmony. Sweet, refreshing, just a little bit woody, and boozy as you’d expect it to be. It’s kind of the perfect summer cocktail—at the very least, it’s the easiest one to make at home.

The Julep With a Backbone

How do you improve upon the quintessential summer whiskey drink? Give it a spine. Joaquín Simó co-owner of white-hot Pouring Ribbons in New York City, takes the traditional recipe—ice, mint, bourbon, sugar—and gilds the lily each step of the way.

Double-Barrel Mint Julep

6 sprigs mint

2 oz. overproof whiskey (try Old Grand-Dad 114)

1 tsp. crème de pêche

1/4oz. simple syrup

1/4 oz. overproof rum (try Smith Cross)

Dash Angostura bitters

Muddle half the mint in the bottom of a julep cup (or rocks glass). Add the whiskey, crème de pêche (or juice from canned peaches), and simple syrup; fill 2/3 with crushed ice and stir until the cup is frosty. Top with more ice, float the rum and bitters, and add the remaining mint.

Try Some Citrus, Sugar, and Soda

Whiskey isn’t vodka; you don’t have to work hard to make it taste good. So these three things are all you need to keep a party happy: two parts whiskey (any whiskey), one part lemon juice, a dash of sugar. Ice. Soda. Repeat until everyone has a drink.

The Only Glass You Need

You can drink whiskey out of anything from a Mason jar to a coupe. But really, all you need is a big, heavy tumbler. Schott Zwiesel’s variation is titanium-infused and laser-cut. It’s heavy, clean-lined, and sort of unbreakable. (That’s not a challenge.) Get six of them.

Whiskey Pairings Are Simple—Just Ask the Chef

With Chocolate

"Whiskey is very much for after dinner—tarte Tatin, crème brûlée, bitter chocolate. Between these and the whiskey, there is almost a marriage. It’s a complement to an evening, rather than a pairing."—Daniel Boulud, chef and owner of Daniel

**...Or Water **

"I really don’t think bourbon belongs on the table during a meal. It just destroys your tongue. So drink it on its own, as its own course. Maybe put some water in it. Let the proof change. Let the flavor change. Don’t rush things."—Sean Brock, chef and owner of Husk

Chill Out With the Ice Spheres

And eyedroppers. And arm garters. And all the other unnecessary paraphernalia that tainted whiskey for so long. Nowadays, the preciousness is gone. Cooling down a cocktail isn’t an arms race, and tasting the stuff isn’t subject to the scientific method. And as for the "speakeasy-style" bars that seemed to open every weekend—well, as a wise friend once told us, It’s not a speakeasy. It has a liquor license.

Next: WHISKEY WISDOM