By DCist Contributor Nathan Wilkinson

May 16 is marks the celebration of World Whisky Day, an event started in the U.K. as an effort to promote the appreciation of craft distilling. For the rest of us, it’s an excuse to drink whiskey and tweet about it (#worldwhiskyday). And what better way to enjoy whiskey than on the rocks? Just about every cocktail bar in the city sports at least one rocks drink on the menu that shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether you like whiskey and scotch, or you prefer rums and tequilas, here are a handful of rocks drinks worth trying and a few tips for making your own lowball cocktails.

The best rocks drinks are composed of a distinctive base spirit with one or two additional ingredients used sparingly as accents. It’s tempting to order the drink with the most unusual combination of liqueurs and juices, but you run the risk of burying the unique flavor of the ryes or bourbons that you pay top dollar for. Rocks drinks should be stirred slowly on ice, not shaken, which dilutes and overchills the liquids to the point you can hardly taste them. That’s why large formats of ice are trendy; they keep things cool without being too cold and diluting the drink.

This is the thinking behind I Did It My Way at Graffiato (707 6th Street NW). It’s a simple combination of Bulleit rye, Cynar (that funky artichoke liqueur), Old Fashioned bitters, and a huge ice cube. Bartender Alex Dooley says the drink has a following among regulars: “There’s a bunch of guys who come in to order only these and drink them like water.” The rye presence in it is strong enough for Bulleit fans, but Cynar adds a wine-like smoothness where whiskey by itself might be harsh.

Red Light (1401 R Street NW) has three incredibly good and very different rocks drinks on the menu. The Pseudonym, for starters, is an Evan Williams bourbon drink that’s like a Southern Ginger without the soda. Just the right amount of ginger liqueur and St. Germain provide a floral spiciness to a fairly reserved bourbon. The El Viejo is a smokin’ hot sipper made with jalapeno-infused tequila, chocolate mole bitters, and sugar syrup, and garnished with citrus and a dried chili pepper. It comes across as deep and inviting as an Isla scotch with a pleasant warmth of jalapeno spice. The most unusual rocks drink at Red Light is the Dead Man’s Tale, made with Sailor Jerry’s spiced rum, muddled peach mint, Benedictine, and lime juice. Its mint flavor is nothing like a Mojito, being drier and oddly floral. And there’s an indescribable herbal bite from the Benedictine that isn’t usually associated with spiced rum drinks.

D.C. drinkers are fortunate to be one of the first liquor markets where Glendalough, a new craft Irish whiskey, is available. Glendalough represents 1400 years of Irish whiskey styles, beginning with three poitin expressions dating from the 6th century monastic distillations to the mid-1600’s style 13-year-old single malt voted Best Irish single malt in the world at the San Francisco World Spirits Festival.

“Our single grain Double Barrel is a new style of Irish whiskey,” says Glendalough’s brand manager, Donal O’Gallachoir. “It’s made of organic European corn and malted barley and aged 3½ years in bourbon casks and a half year in oloroso sherry casks.”

In honor of World Whiskey Day and Glendalough’s arrival in D.C., I have concocted my own rocks drink with Glendalough Double Barrel. True to the single grain style of a deluxe Irish whiskey, Glendalough is rich and smooth with lots of oak and sherry notes. Just the right amount of St. Germain and Benedictine and it becomes a legendary whiskey experience: Daedalus In Flight.

• 2 oz. Glendalough Double Barrel
• ½ oz. St. Germain
• ¼ tsp. Benedictine
• lemon peel

Stir Glendalough and St. Germain in a mixing glass with ice. Pour over fresh large-scale ice in a lowball glass. Add Benedictine on top of the ice and twist the lemon peel above the glass and drop it in.