The beach is often the province of ice-cold light beer and umbrella drinks. But I am here to tell you: there’s a place for whiskey there too. And please don’t be deterred because whiskey packs a high-octane punch: rum is very much a beach beverage, and it’s just as boozy.

You can find beach whiskies across the style spectrum, from scotch to bourbon, but not every whiskey can be a beach whiskey. For starters, it’s got to go with sunscreen and salt water—meaning that it shouldn’t be too serious. Leave your limited-edition single barrels and hefty sherry bombs and the bottles that you want to ponder and take notes on at home, along with the really expensive stuff. Beach whiskey is best sipped lazily, with little to no thought, as your cares slip away with the tide.

Given the location and climate, beach whiskey is ideal for add-ons, like ice or mixers. (More on that below.) But if you insist on sipping neat, go low proof: think Johnnie Walker and other light blended scotches, easy-drinking ryes such as Old Overholt, and low-octane bourbons like Basil Hayden’s. And, of course, take it easy, and hydrate generously alongside every pour.

As for the vessel, abide by the rules of the pool—even if you’re on the beach—and avoid real glass; nothing kills the vibe like a shard of broken tumbler slicing into your flip-flopped foot. Try a shatter-proof option like Bravario or the Yeti Rambler Lowball—which has the bonus benefit of a lid that keeps out stray grains of sand.

Seaside Scotch

Cool and rainy Scotland doesn’t exactly evoke Jimmy Buffett, but the country, with roughly 900 islands and more than 11,000 miles of coastline, actually has tons of stunningly beautiful beaches. Sure, there aren’t many sunbathers out on the North Sea, but you can enjoy walking, beachcombing, and simply sitting with a drink just as well as anywhere else.

And arguably even better than many other places. Dozens of single malt scotches are made just steps from the ocean, sometimes at distilleries perched right above the water. These lend themselves marvelously to beach drinking, especially if the casks have been matured in on-site warehouses where salty sea air seeps in over the years of aging.

The most beach-friendly way to drink single malt is in a Highball. It’s sacrilegious to some; once, on Islay, a bartender visibly blanched when my friend ordered her Ardbeg 10 with soda. But smoky single malt in particular is fiendishly suited to this refreshing long drink. You can vary the proportions to taste but a good place to start is with a three-to-one ratio of soda water to scotch, and garnish with whatever citrus you have on hand.

Recommended Bottles: Ardbeg 10-Year-Old, Laphroaig 10-Year-Old, or any heavily peated Islay whisky, Highland Park 12-Year-Old, Glen Scotia 10-Year-Old, Talisker 10-Year-Old, Old Pulteney Huddart (a whisky that calls itself “The Maritime Malt”).

Island-Ready Indian

Millions of tourists travel to the tiny Indian state of Goa every year to enjoy its magnificent white sand beaches, replete with lounge-chair-side drink service and some of the most delicious seafood in the world. (If you go, do not miss the masala squid.)

The same tropical climate that makes the area idyllic for oceanic activities also matures whisky exceptionally well. Goa is home to Paul John Distillery, which makes single malt packed with flavors of tropical fruit and richly layered with spice. Other Indian single malts, like Amrut and Indri, share similar characteristics, the result of intensified maturation periods in the country’s hot, humid climate.

Indians like their whisky with lots of water, ice optional, but these extremely flavorful single malts are also well-suited to cocktails. Simplicity works well here: if you have access to fresh coconuts, crack one open and mix a glug of whisky with the sweet, refreshing milk inside.

More complex applications work well too. Swapping a beach whiskey in place of rum in a tiki-style drink can be fabulously fun: while the Rye-Tai uses, duh, rye whiskey, an Indian single malt wouldn’t be out of place here. The whisky would also blend seamlessly into a Piña Colada or a Painkiller.

Recommended Bottles: Paul John Brilliance, Amrut Fusion, Indri Trini.

Beachy Bourbon

Bourbon, above all others, is a hot-weather whiskey: robustly flavored and sturdily proofed, friendly to dilution and mixing.

Call it a cop-out, but the best way to beachify your bourbon is simply to drink it over lots of ice. Even if you usually eschew rocks, give it a go during your time on the towel. It’s refreshing! You don’t even have to set aside your love of barrel-proof bourbon; in fact, it’s perfect here, extending and transforming its flavor for as long as the ice takes to melt.

If ice is a bridge too far, then consider heavy dilution with chilled water. Booker Noe himself, one of the greatest distillers of the 20th century, liked four parts water to one part bourbon, a concoction he dubbed Kentucky Tea. (Which is, incidentally, the name of an excellent 2022 batch of Booker’s Bourbon.)

Or spike some actual tea, with lemonade, for a boozy Arnold Palmer, that most summery of drinks. A scant one ounce of bourbon or rye gives you enough flavor, and a little kick, to fully enjoy beachy day-drinking without overdoing it in the hot sun.

Recommended Bottles: Booker’s, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Wild Turkey 101—or whatever your favorite daily drinker happens to be.