4 Whisky-Forward Cocktails That Tell A Story — With Johnnie Walker Black Label
While designing drinks, I aim to think of them less as recipes and more as concepts ready to be innovated with. For me, a cocktail is more than its making and method set in stone; it is a blend that inspires you to adapt, reinterpret, and reimagine ingredients in your own way. That’s why, when I curated four Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktails, I kept very true to my minimalistic Scandinavian roots, to simply let the whisky speak for itself. My vision: No garnish, no distraction - just flavour, structure and story.
Each of the cocktails speaks of the whisky in a different way, it tells a different narrative, interspersed with the other ingredients. Every drink remains anchored by the robust, versatile character of Johnnie Walker Black Label, yet its flavour goes somewhere unexpected.
4 Cocktails With Johnnie Walker Black Label
Espresso Dust
This drink comes from my preference for coffee culture. Still, I wanted a drink that felt instantly familiar to modern palates while keeping the whisky centre-stage. The espresso dust cocktail pairs Johnnie Walker Black Label with passion fruit and coffee. Whisky brings structure and length to the drink, and passion fruit lifts the mid-palate with its bright flavours. Adding coffee rounds out and deepens the finish such that you still taste the Scotch.
I also add an aromatic accord of tea leather, which has fruity and oaky elements found in the whisky itself. The drink is at once approachable for anyone who is an amateur to whisky’s notes, yet it can be precise and layered enough for bartenders who are immersed deeply in the construction of the cocktail. One of the best ways to keep this drink clean is to let its texture and aroma do the work instead of decorating the glass with too many gaudy garnishes.
Also Read: ‘A Great Whisky Already Has Something To Say’: Monica Berg
The Citrus Step
Presenting a fresh cocktail is the absolute idea behind this blend. If espresso dust is a complex drink, this one is purely bright. The citrus step is built around neroli and ginger ale. Think of a highball - cold, taut, and focused while blending this drink. The citrus step is quite akin to a Japanese highball, a style I derive inspiration from, for its elegance and precision. Neroli’s fruity floralness threads through Johnnie Walker Black Label’s smoke and sweetness; the ginger ale adds lift and definition without overpowering the spirit.
What matters in this cocktail is carbonation - a crisp line, quite different from a foamy density. This is the serve I point to when someone says whisky cocktails are generally heavy. They needn’t be, they just have to be balanced.
Wild Ember
This is the deepest flavoured of the four and, for many, the most unexpected. The backbone of the drink is Johnnie Walker Black Label, which is layered with aromatised wine, sherry and liqueur, finished with oak moss and a touch of habanero spice. The sherry contributes a nutty richness to the recipe, and the aromatised wine shapes the mid-palate.
Oak moss is what echoes the whisky’s earth and smoke, while the chilli contributes to a spicy finish. Wild ember speaks to the contemporary whisky drinker. Someone who prefers something deep, yet surprisingly refined.
Nectar Bloom
I have built Nectar Bloom to offset the assumption that whisky leads to the creation of dense cocktails. The drink is crafted with nectarine, sherry, and green cardamom. Sherry lightens the frame; nectarine brings a juicy, transparent fruity taste, cardamom — a flavour so many people know intimately — becomes the cultural connect as it integrates with the blend’s spicy notes. The result is floral and airy, and it still reads like a whisky. Arriving at that balance is the point: make it elegant, not fragile.
My take: Go through these serves and make them your own, but keep the intent intact. Whisky first; flavour, clarity and balance over fuss. Quality produce and no garnish unless it serves the drink. With Johnnie Walker Black Label — a consistent, layered blend — you begin with something approachable. Start with the flavour profile, decide whether you are echoing it or contrasting it and build mindfully. Ultimately, that’s what it really is about for me: cocktails that not only taste good, but also open doors to curiosity, to reinterpretation and to new ways of approaching whisky.
*Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
About the Author:
MONICA BERG is among the most influential figures in the ever-evolving world of mixology. She co-owns the award-winning Tayēr + Elementary — a top-10 fixture on The World’s 50 Best Bars list — in London, along with her partner, Alex Kratena. Bartender, entrepreneur and innovator, Monica’s accolades include being named Best International Bartender and Drinks International’s Most Influential Person in the Bar (2023).
