You may hear a lot of talk about sacrilege from mixologists and whiskey purists—it can be easy to agree that good whiskey should never be mixed, that ice is for wimps, or that cocktails are unnecessary. For years I’ve been responding to the myth that there is a wrong way and a right way to consume spirits. My belief is that you should drink whiskey—and all spirits, for that matter—however you damn well please.
There is scientific research to back up adding water to your whiskey for what some call a “bloom of flavor.” There is also scientific evidence that adding ice to your whiskey delivers less flavor. There is science behind the idea that the particular shape of your whiskey glass may help you detect more aroma and, therefore, more flavor.
But does all this science matter? That depends.