This Whiskey Sherry Cocktail recipe is perfect for fall. Nutty pecan syrup complements the sherry. Bourbon or rye whiskey provides a bit of warmth and depth, while fresh lemon juice brightens the drink. We have this drink on repeat, and you will too!
On a rare date when my daughter was a toddler, I had a delicious cocktail with whiskey and sherry at a restaurant in Philadelphia. I loved it so much that I had to have my own bourbon and sherry cocktail to make at home - lightly sweetened, slightly nutty, and very drinkable. Alex and I even get hints of apple cider while we drink it.
My Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail is a cozy cocktail perfect for those cool evenings that you want to feel fancy.
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Why I Love It
I love this cocktail because it's:
- Slightly sweetened, so you taste all the flavors without being overwhelmed.
- Nutty from pecan syrup - but still delicious if you skip it.
- Brightened with sherry, a fortified wine that gives cozy, fruity apple-cider vibes.
This recipe is lightly adapted from the drink Smoke Signals cocktail, which is poured over smoked ice. We skipped that since in the Konkel household, smoke belongs with barbecue, not drinks. For a similar vibe, though, you could always try a smoked whiskey.
Ingredients for a Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail
Here's what you'll need to make this cozy Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail:
- Bourbon or rye whiskey
- Dry sherry
- Pecans
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
- Ice (not pictured)
You can use bourbon or rye whiskey in this cocktail; both are delicious. Choose something mid-priced and that mixes well; save anything with unique flavors for another drink.
Sherry is a fortified wine. You definitely taste the sherry in this cocktail but it isn't overpowering. You'll want a dry sherry. In 2018, I used a medium, Amontillado sherry, brown in color. In 2025, I used medium dry California sherry I found at the store. A darker sherry, like an Oloroso, and a lighter Manzanilla sherry would both be good as well. Whatever you use, be sure it's dry, not too sweet, and doesn't have other flavors. Do not use cooking sherry.
You use the pecans and sugar to make a pecan simple syrup. If you're allergic (or lazy!), you can use a plain simple syrup or maple syrup instead.
Always use fresh lemon juice in cocktails. Bottled lemon juice has preservatives and will give off flavors to your drink, although it can be used in a pinch. You won't use the entire lemon here, so you can use the rest in another recipe.
Ice is an overlooked ingredient in cocktails. I want to note that you'll shake this cocktail with ice, which will add extra water to the drink. This extra water will make the cocktail tastier and more drinkable.
Recommended Equipment
It's essential to use a cocktail shaker (affiliate link), or something like it, to make the Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail. The ingredients are too strong to drink without diluting them well with ice.
Straining the pecan syrup is easier if you have a mesh strainer (affiliate link). That said, you could certainly strain it through the cocktail shaker!
I also recommend you use a hand-held citrus juicer (affiliate link) to squeeze the lemon, but you'll probably do fine without one if your lemon is very juicy.
Why Should I Shake Cocktails With Ice?
Shaking a cocktail does 3 important things. It:
- Combines syrup and lemon juice, which have 2 very different textures, with the other liquids.
- Aerates the liquid, giving it a smoother texture.
- Dilutes the mixture, bringing the alcohol content down to something more drinkable, and allowing you to taste the nuances of the drink.
Nerdy Note: I weigh my ingredients, even when I make mixed drinks and cocktails. For this recipe which makes 2 cocktails, the mixture absorbed 3.3 ounces (97 milliliters) of water from the ice. So really, each drink gained at least an extra 45 milliliters (or 1.5 tablespoons) of water!
How to Make Pecan Simple Syrup
You'll start by making a pecan simple syrup. I use toasted pecans, but you can make the syrup with untoasted pecans if desired; it just won't be as dark and flavorful.
- Combine the toasted, chopped pecans with sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 12 minutes. The syrup will smell like pecans.
- Strain the syrup into a glass jar. Store the syrup in the refrigerator until cold.
Save the pecans to eat another time. You can mix them into ice cream, add them to oatmeal, or sprinkle them on my version of Hershey's Best Brownies recipe. They're best stored in the fridge; use them within a week.
🔥Tip: How much syrup you get depends on how high of heat you use to cook the syrup. I weighed my syrups before and after cooking. Over medium heat, my 330 grams of syrup reduced to 186 grams; a lot of water cooked out. Over low heat, my 330 grams of syrup yielded 223 grams of syrup.
How to Make the Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail - Step-by-Step
Once your pecan syrup is chilled, you can make your cocktail!
- Combine the bourbon, sherry, 3 tablespoons of pecan syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker (affiliate link) with 1 cup of ice.
- Shake vigorously, for at least 30 seconds to combine and chill the liquid, and let water mix into your drink. Strain into two glasses.
Serving and Storage
If you're making this cocktail for one, you can store the second cocktail in the refrigerator for a day. It'll still be tasty tomorrow!
Store pecan simple syrup in the back of the fridge for maximum shelf life. It'll stay good for a few weeks.
Store the leftover sherry, corked or capped, in the refrigerator. Drink within 2 weeks. After that, use it for cooking.
Recipe FAQ
Shaking cocktails mixes ingredients with different textures, like syrup and lemon juice in this cocktail, much better than stirring does. It also incorporates extra air and water into the drink, making the alcohol content lower and thus more drinkable. The water and air also smooth out the texture, and allow you to taste the nuances in this Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail better than you can if you mix it in a glass.
If you don't want to make a pecan syrup for the Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail, it's equally good with a regular simple syrup or maple syrup. Honey would also taste nice but doesn't mix well with cold liquids.
If you have a nut allergy, just skip making the pecan syrup. The Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail is equally good with maple syrup or regular simple syrup.
You can use bottled lemon juice in a cocktail in a pinch, but I don't recommend it in general as the bottled stuff has preservatives that can give your drink an off taste. It's worth using fresh lemon juice to have a more enjoyable beverage. You won't even use the whole lemon to make this Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail, which means you can use the rest of the fresh lemon for another recipe (or drink).
No! Wine labeled "cooking wine" in stores has preservatives, additives, and salt specifically so you don't drink it. It also just is low quality stuff. Please don't use cooking wine in drinks.
I used an Amontillado, which is a medium sherry, brown in color, the first time I made Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail. Most recently, I used a medium dry sherry from California - not expensive. You could go lighter in color with a Manzanilla sherry, or darker with an Oloroso sherry; I haven't tried them. Choose something dry, since you're adding syrup to the cocktail and you don't want to add other flavors.
Sherry is a fortified wine, with an alcohol content only slightly higher than wine; leftovers will need to be corked and stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few weeks.
After you make the Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail, you'll have lots of leftover sherry, which you should drink within a few weeks. After that, I typically use the leftover sherry in place of wine to cook recipes like my Spicy Pork with Asparagus.
If you're choosing a whiskey specifically to make my Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail, choose something nice but mixable, but nothing too unique or with extra tasting notes. I usually seek out a mid-priced bottle.
I tested it most recently with Elijah Craig Small Batch and Bulleit Rye; both tasted great in this cocktail. I haven't tried the drink with a wheated bourbon; it would likely be a little lighter in taste, but still delicious.
Yes and no. While there's no substitute for the sherry in the Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail, you could make a different drink just by omitting the sherry. Cut the amount of pecan syrup to 1 ounce and adjust the drink from there.
Other Great Cocktail Recipes
Here's my favorite cocktail and bourbon recipes!
More Nutty Treats
Here's some of my favorite nut-forward recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Whiskey Sherry Cocktail
Equipment
- cocktail shaker (affiliate link)
Ingredients
Pecan Syrup
- ½ cup pecans (60 grams; toasted and lightly chopped)
- ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
- 1 cup water (227 grams)
Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail
- 2.5 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey (70 milliliters/ 5 tablespoons)
- 1.5 ounces sherry (45 milliliters/3 tablespoons)
- 1.5 ounces pecan syrup (45 milliliters/ 3 tablespoons
- 0.5 ounces lemon juice (15 milliliters/1 tablespoon)
- ice
Instructions
Pecan Syrup
- Combine pecans, sugar, and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for about 12 minutes, until syrup tastes like pecans. (It will become brown well before this.)
- Strain syrup into a glass jar and chill. Eat pecans or use in a different recipe.
- Store syrup in back of the refrigerator to maximize its shelf life. It should be good for a few weeks.
- Yields: around 227 grams/milliliters of syrup, which is enough for 10 cocktails.
Whiskey-Sherry Cocktail
- Combine whiskey, sherry, pecan syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker (affiliate link) with 1 cup of ice.
- Shake until cold. My method: shake cocktail for 30 seconds. Set down for a minute, then shake again to be sure everything is well mixed.
- Strain into 2 glasses.
Notes
[Originally published March 24, 2018. Revised and rewritten October 14, 2025.]
Leona Konkel says
I look forward to autumn so I can start making this cocktail. The house smells great while I make the syrup. I hope you love this drink as much as Alex and I do!