what is a whisky neat

A whiskey neat is a pure spirit served in a glass without any dilution or mixers, not even ice. It is usually two ounces and poured directly into a NEAT glass, which is a specially shaped glass that helps to appreciate the spirit in its purest form. The term "neat" is different from "straight up" or simply "up," which means the drink is poured over ice and then strained into a glass. When drinking whiskey neat, it is best to use a lowball cocktail glass at room temperature and to sip it slowly to appreciate the complexity of flavors and aromas. The goal of a drink served neat is to go straight from the bottle to the glass with as little interruption as possible. However, some connoisseurs say that adding a few drops of water to a whiskey neat is acceptable, as it enhances the compounds that make up the aroma in a glass of whiskey.