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Whiskey Six

Name: Whiskey Six
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 15 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 15 ml Cherry brandy; 15 ml Red bitter liqueur; 15 ml Red quinquina e.g. Dubonnet, Byrrh; 15 ml Dry vermouth; 15 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (9)

Measurements in:

Serves:

Keep screen awake

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Cherry (brandy) liqueur
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Italian red bitter liqueur
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Dubonnet, Byrrh etc. rouge light quinquina (chilled)
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth (chilled)
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth (chilled)

How to make

Glass

Photographed in an Urban Bar Plain Retro Coupette 15cl

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Whiskey Six contains 174 calories

Alcohol content:

1.3 standard drinks
19.82% alc./vol. (39.63° proof)
17.9 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Dry vermouth, Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

Powerful six-cylinder automobiles, such as the McLaughlin K-6-45 Extra Special Master Six, were popular with Prohibition-era rumrunners and became known as "Whiskey Sixes". Their lightweight design and speed made them ideally suited to smuggling alcohol from Canadian whisky distilleries across the frozen, barely half-mile-wide Detroit River and other borders.

More cocktails by Simon Difford

Review

A riff on the gin-based Six Cylinder by yours truly in April 2026. This equal-parts, straight six, combustion engine-inspired cocktail runs better on high-octane straight rye than on regular-strength whiskey.

Variations/similar cocktails

Boulevardier

Cherry Heering Liqueur 750ml - makes 50 cocktails
$29.99 $0.60 per cocktail Cherry Heering Liqueur image

Campari Bitter 375ml - makes 25 cocktails
$19.99 $0.80 per cocktail Campari Bitter image

Byrrh Grand Quinquina 750ml - makes 50 cocktails
$52.99 $1.06 per cocktail Byrrh Grand Quinquina image

$2.46 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 25 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.

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* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

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Comments & Discussion

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Doug Bain Premium Member 18w

Very few drinks survive the inclusion of cherry heering. This was not one of them.

Simon Sedgley Premium Member 18w

We have a pretty strong aversion to Heering. But Luxardo works just fine for us...in the background.

Doug Bain Premium Member 18w

Thanks. I will try that.

Simon Sedgley Premium Member 19w

Very tasty...wine-like, just deep and sweet enough and lightly spicy. We could enjoy this either side of dinner, depending on what is on the menu. If it's the 'old roast beef of England' then maybe it's an aperitivo. Or if it's a spicy Thai stir fry or curry then maybe it's a digestivo. Either way, it's a treat.

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