Scotch and Soda Recipe – one of our favorite simple, good cocktails with tips for a solid scotch and soda anytime!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Classic Scotch and Sodas

While scotch and soda isn't the trickiest drink to figure out (mix scotch and soda water and you're done) – there are a couple of tips to keep you drink well balanced and tasting great.

We're going to walk through the components of how to make a solid scotch and soda – including what scotch to use, what soda water to use, and tips on ice, garnishes, and more.

We're also adding a recipe for a non-alcoholic scotch and soda, so you can whip up a batch with a good rich caramel flavor without the alcohol.

We hope you love this cocktail as much as we do!

How To Make Scotch And Soda

Finding the right scotch for scotch and soda is pretty simple – we prefer less smoky, easy to drink scotch that isn't too smoky. We like to buy Speyside or Highlands Scotch for Scotch and Soda – and avoid Smokier Islay or Skye scotch when making scotch and soda.

You want to use a high quality Scotch whose flavor you like – but also want to keep the price lower, since you're watering it down with soda water.

Some of our favorite picks are below:

Bowmore 12 – a classic, smooth drinking Scotch with a mid-range price point around $40.
Johnny Walker Red Label – slightly smoky, with a smooth oaky finish and a $20 price range.
Balvenie 12 – smooth, rich, and caramel notes in a high-price range around $60 a bottle.
Famous Grouse – smooth, easy to find, and easy drinking with a great $20 and under price point.
Glen Keith Distillery Edition – Glen Keith usually appears in Cutty Sark and other Scotch blends, but their distiller edition is floral, smooth, and around a $35 price point.

We love using Topo Chico sparkling water, for its mineral flavor and big bubbles.

We also like Pellegrino, store brand soda water, or Mountain Valley.

Kitchen notes

Scotch and sodas are one of our favorite cocktails because they are truly a pour, stir, and serve drink.

There are a couple tips to keep your scotch and soda solid though, so we're sharing them below:

Don't pour until ready to serve to keep carbonation.
Use a scotch whose flavor you like.
Use large ice cubes if possible to keep them from melting too quickly and giving off too much water.

Make it non alcoholic. You can swap the scotch for artisanal non alcoholic scotch – we often like to sip scotch and sodas, but don't always want the booze – but picking a good quality non alcoholic scotch is a simple, and good swap!

Find some of our picks below: