21 elegant cocktail recipes for sophisticated soirees

Serve up a cocktail guaranteed to impress next time you’re playing host. Using the best ingredients and with simple to follow instructions, each of these celebratory drinks are easy to make yet seriously sophisticated.

Here’s our selection of the best elegant cocktail recipes to make you the hostess of the season.

Single malt meets sparkling wine in this original twist on the French 75 recipe. The Glenlivet Royale is a whisky champagne cocktail that balances smooth, sweet scotch with crisp bubbles and a touch of lemon for an impressively fresh, elegant drink.

Mix the sweetness of honey with a herbal note in this flavourful take on a classic drink. The honey and sage Old Fashioned is a wonderful whisky digestif cocktail for slow sipping after dinner.

Upgrade your pink wine to a Rose Royale. This sparkling Rosé wine cocktail adds an infusion of roses to this floral, light serve, perfect for sophisticated gatherings. It can also be batch made behind the scenes to make cocktail hour even easier.

A scotch and soda drink is the epitome of simple sophistication. Just two ingredients make this classic serve – it’s a true testament to quality over quantity. We make ours with The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve – our smooth and fruity single malt that uses time-honoured methods to create.

Add a silky, smooth touch to your after dinner cocktail hour with a Milk Punch. It’s beautifully simple and wonderful to sip cold or warm. The ultimate elegant drink to replace eggnog with this festive season.

Enjoy a Paper Plane cocktail to get your fix of tart sweetness. The combination of 12 year old scotch, herbal liqueur and Aperol make for a bittersweet drink that’s now a staple on classic cocktail menus.

Herbs add a certain level of elegance to a drink, particularly when picked from your own cocktail herb garden. In this rosemary Old Fashioned recipe, we take the subtle piney notes of rosemary and the rich, deep sweetness of brown sugar to elevate a classic serve.

For summertime BBQs with a side of sophistication, give the Grapefruit Paloma a whirl. This crowd pleasing cocktail balances tart citrus juice with smooth sweet scotch for a zesty refresher.

Mix up a Vieux Carré cocktail and you’ll be guaranteed to feel like the most experienced of bartenders. This undeniably elegant drink might be somewhat complex, but it’s sweet yet bitter flavour is exceptional. We make ours with golden 15 Year Old scotch, aged in French oak casks.

A drink made for floral themed occasions and spring soirees – meet the Scottish Spring Matcha. It’s a recipe that’s as beautiful to look at as it’s delicious to drink, combining the striking green of matcha with sweet coconut and lime. Top your matcha cocktail with edible flowers for extra elegance.

Serve a cocktail that tells a story with Valley of the Bees. This elegant combination of scotch and honey represents the beautiful sights of the Scottish Highlands where bees buzz from flower to flower, pollinating the heather that contribute to The Glenlivet whisky.

Simply sweet with strong notes of fruity whisky, the Cherry Manhattan is a foolproof serve. It’s our take on a classic Brooklyn cocktail, guaranteeing comforting notes of cherry, pineapple and bittersweet herb.

Turn your red wine into an elegant cocktail worthy of any dinner party or gathering with our Whisky Wine Float. It’s a twist on the New York Sour, a timeless serve that marries the classic flavours of a Whisky Sour with a rich, red wine layer.

Drink Negronis as the French do by mixing up a round of Boulevardiers with scotch. Our overseas inspiration behind this recipe mixes single malt whisky with Campari and sweet vermouth for a rich, full-bodied cocktail best served in an elegant coupe glass.

Discover the less traditional combination of a sherry whisky cocktail with the Side Kick. This take on a Sidecar results in a nutty, sour drink, elevated by the surprising notes of mandarin, raisin and clove.

Serve up a scotch with a twist with The Old Reserve. It’s an old reliable recipe that adds ginger, honey and orange to The Glenlivet Captain’s Reserve. Classic, simple and seriously elegant.

Essentially a twisted Whisky Sour, Orchard Shelter marries the sweet, light flavours of pear and fig with single malt scotch. A surprising flavour combination sure to impress every guest.

Take your guests to new places with a Japanese whisky cocktail inspired by the flavours of sweet Sencha tea. Ripe berries add a touch of rose and blossom to this wonderful summer drink.

The gentle flavours of this whisky lemon cocktail make for a beautifully simple yet elegant serve. Chamomile adds a gentle floral layer, spritzed by a dash of soda. Top with fresh florals for extra elegance in spring.

Celebrate one of the world’s oldest spices with this whisky and ginger cocktail. Golden Storm is inspired by the versatility of ginger, a perfect partner for the sweet, smooth serve of The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve.

Another wonderful twist on an old classic, the elderflower Old Fashioned brings floral notes and sweet ripe peach to smooth single malt scotch. Serve with a slice of fruit for an irresistible garnish.

Discover more elegant drinks and celebratory serves in our collection of whisky cocktails as well as guides on hosting cocktail parties and outdoor dinner parties.