What to Make with Laphroaig

It’s no secret that I love peaty scotch bases in cocktails. And I mean bases. Not the “incorporation” that many people use of Islay scotches, where they are confined to just a glass rinse or aerosol-ized as a spritz over a cocktail for the “hint” of peat. That is silly. And I don’t think my tastebuds are sensitive enough to detect such nuance.

So I wanted to write an article of my favorite Islay cocktails. And since there are many, I wanted to focus specifically on the ones that are good with Laphroaig first. Laphroaig was my first love – and the only Islay scotch I knew by name for a year. But now I’ve become a bit more promiscuous with my Islay whisky drinking, and know all of their names. I have also learned that not all whiskies are alike and cannot be substituted between cocktails willy-nilly.

Laphroaig is famous (and some say infamous) for their seaweed, hospital-on-fire, hyper-iodine flavors. It’s really a unique flavor profile, and there are certain cocktails that I like to use with their standard Laphroaig 10 year.

Thus, this article. A few cocktails that really celebrate the Laphroaig-yness of Laphroaig:

#1: The Laphroaig Project

A cocktail in the Last Word family. Bonus points – it was made here in San Francisco (!). Full recipe here. And just for completion, the exact Laphroaig variant of the Last Word is our “Islay Word” (recipe here).

#2: Laphroaig-Groni

It is HARD to make a negroni with Laphroaig as a base taste good (believe me, I’ve tried and failed many times). Finally, we made it happen by adding the ultimate whisky complement: oloroso sherry. Full recipe here.

#3: Sedentary Banana

As you can see, we are fans of the Giffard’s banana liqueuer (we also do not have many liqueurs in house). The liqueur works very well with rum – and really plays well with the punchy-ness of Laphroaig. Full recipe here.

#4: Smoked Mule

This drink is a high octane, high proof cocktail from the Death & Company book. It works surprisingly well for just a three-ingredient cocktail (and has a full ounce of Laphroaig). Full recipe here.