Asking for a “neat” whiskey will get you the purest sips of the drink, but before ordering, it's good to know the difference between ordering it neat and “straight up.”

Neat whiskey very specifically refers to pouring the whiskey straight from the bottle into the glass. “Straight up” whiskey is usually run through an ice bath first to chill.

You should order your whiskey neat if you don’t mind a lukewarm drink, or if you don’t want there to be any chance of ice diluting the whiskey.