8 Whiskeys That Are Perfect for Summer Sipping

Though Jefferson’s Ocean is one of my favorite bourbons year-round, the fact that it’s aged on a boat gives it this lovely salinity that makes me crave it during the summer months. It’s smooth, caramelly and a little bit salty — heaven!

I am a total beach bum and I don’t care who knows it. Barrell Seagrass Rye is meant to evoke coastal memories, and that’s exactly what it does for me. The blend of Canadian and American rye whiskeys is finished in Madeira, apricot brandy and rhum agricole barrels, which give it juicy notes of pear and lychee. This and a moody New England beach? Yes, please.

Summer is the season of exceptional produce, when tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini are at their best. And who could forget about corn, the hero of barbecues and seafood boils that stretch from lazy afternoons into the evening. Mellow Corn fits right in with its seasonal brethren, and its lightly spiced and sweet flavor makes it an excellent choice for summer sipping.

This is one of my favorite bourbons right now because it has a smooth, elegant flavor. It’s made by blending three bourbon mash bills that are made of four grains (corn, wheat, rye and malted barley), which give it this candied fruit flavor (think berries and citrus) that tastes lovely, even when it’s a scorcher.

I know this is a good summer whiskey because I was just enjoying it at a Yankees game, both in a Manhattan and neat, alongside popcorn and hot dogs and all the other good things on offer at the ballpark. Whether you’re drinking it outside at a baseball game or not, the smooth blend of eight- to nine-year-old whiskeys goes down almost too easy.

Here comes old faithful. Is there any time that isn’t right for sipping Buffalo Trace? I think not. Put a bottle in the middle of the table at your next outdoor gathering and watch it disappear.

There’s really nothing specific about Wild Turkey 101 that makes it good for summer. But it is damn near perfect, and perfect things don’t need a reason or a season. On the hottest day of the year, find yourself a dark bar and sip this until it’s cool enough to go back outside.

I think I have a soft spot for drinking Sazerac Rye in the dead of summer because I always end up having a few Sazeracs — its namesake cocktail — in the crippling heat of a New Orleans July during Tales of the Cocktail. It hits every time, with its notes of candied orange, anise and vanilla.