5 Top Mixers to Pair with Jameson Whiskey

One of the best Irish whiskeys money can buy, Jameson is a standard among many, from those just getting into whiskey to devoted fans. It’s ideal served on the rocks or prepared neat as a slow sipper, but there are also plenty of simple additions to elevate your imbibing experience. Tasting Table spoke to expert Chris Walster, Whisky Connoisseur at The Cask Connoisseur, for recommendations for the all-time best mixers for Jameson, which include lemonade, soda water, ginger ale, coffee, and apple juice.

Walster makes an excellent point about Jameson’s fruity notes, which, along with hints of floral flavors and rich sweetness, provide a complementary base for a variety of different mixers to create a well-rounded cocktail. All fairly obvious choices, the beauty of each one is that they allow the tastes of Jameson to shine through without overpowering the whiskey.

Try an Irish twist on a classic Lynchburg lemonade recipe by swapping in Jameson for the standard Jack Daniels. Walster says that lemonade is one of the “long standing favorite mixers” for whiskey, and with good reason. The tangy citrus drink is a perfectly tart counter to Jameson’s sweetness. To make a Jameson Irish lemonade, you’ll need a ratio of approximately one part whiskey to two parts lemonade, which you can adjust to suit your personal preferences. Served over ice, this is a refreshing sipping beverage.

To really level up your lemonade and Jameson mixture, try adding in a sprig of your favorite herbs, like mint, basil, or rosemary, being sure to lightly smack or muddle the herb of your choosing to release the flavor. A splash of iced tea will turn your cocktail into a spiked Arnold Palmer, and a topping of lemon flavored club soda will make your drink effervescent and fun. For an extra treat, rim your glass with raw sugar first.

Like lemonade, Walster also considers soda water to be a standard choice of mixer for Jameson. The simplicity of adding bubbly water to this spirit helps to balance out its natural richness and introduces a new texture to each sip. To prepare a basic Jameson and soda, you’ll use a ratio of approximately one part whiskey to three parts soda water gently stirred and served over ice. A quick squeeze of a lime wedge ties everything together easily and effectively. 

To dress up your Jameson and soda water, consider your favorite whiskey drinks and what flavors of soda water might mimic these tastes in a lighter format. Rather than sticking to plain carbonated water, try using lime, lemon, or orange bubbly water. You can also choose a hard seltzer for an extra potent mix. Go with a coordinating citrus garnish and add an extra squirt of complementary juice to your drink.

A classic whiskey and ginger ale is a great introductory drink for those new to whiskey and Jameson in particular. Walster notes that ginger ale is “my go to, particularly as a Highball drink.” To the highball, Walster adds angostura bitters and honey syrup. Both the sweet and spicy tastes of a ginger ale make it an ideal choice to add some carbonation to the spirit and just enough of a kick to keep your drink interesting. To make a basic whiskey and ginger cocktail, you’ll need about an ounce and a half of Jameson to five ounces of ginger ale, stirred over ice in a highball glass. Like soda water, this is made even more delicious with a quick squeeze of lime to top it off.

For an elevated version of this favorite, you can definitely take Walster’s approach with honey syrup and angostura bitters. If you want an even spicier take, swap in ginger beer for a whiskey-style riff on a Moscow mule. A sprig of mint also makes a refreshing garnish for a whiskey and ginger drink.

What would an Irish coffee be without a shot of Jameson? According to Walster, “You might like to try it with a cold brew coffee.” Walster adds, It makes a bold and balanced drink -– perfect to finish off with at the end of a meal.” For a drink using traditionally brewed coffee and whiskey, choose Jameson as the Irish whiskey for a unique take on The Dead Rabbit’s Irish coffee recipe, which calls for a ratio of 1¼ ounces of whiskey to three ounces of freshly brewed coffee, ½ ounce of demerara syrup, and a garnish of runny whipped cream.

There are plenty of ways to make your own version of Jameson and coffee, whether it follows a traditional Irish coffee recipe or not. For a cold brew variation of the classic, start with an 1½ ounces of your favorite coffee and an ounce of Jameson to which you can add an ounce of heavy cream, milk, or your favorite plant-based alternative and a ½ ounce of maple syrup mixed up in a shaker with ice and strained into a glass with a garnish of cinnamon. Whole cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves make fun spicy garnishes to infuse an extra hint of flavor as well.

Walster notes, “One that many people would never have tried, is apple juice.” Although a seemingly obvious choice for its natural sweetness and versatility, the overlooked fruit deserves more recognition as a suitable mixer with Jameson. “The juice adds natural sweetness, providing a crisp and fresh taste,” Walster adds. “You can make it into an autumnal drink by adding a bit of cinnamon as well.” In the spirit of this, you can prepare a boozy apple cider for Thanksgiving using two ounces of Jameson with four ounces each of apple juice and sparkling hard apple cider. The glass is rimmed with a mix of cinnamon sugar, and the delicious drink is finished off with a garnish of apple and lemon slices and star anise.

Bringing it back to the basics, you can always simply mix a two to one ratio of apple juice and Jameson over ice to start and see how the flavors sit with you. For other complementary additions, lemon juice or a splash of soda water would do wonders. You can also try riffing on an apple cider hot toddy recipe by using Jameson instead of bourbon and apple juice instead of cider.