These drinks embody everything this week has been asking of me: SWEET, NOT TOO STRONG, AND DELICIOUS.
If you think whiskey is a bit much, bourbon is your new best friend. It’s wonderfully sweet, distinctly American, and perfect with everything from coke to mint.
You can, in fact, have the best of both worlds right here. Bourbon Cocktails FTW.
1. Kentucky Mule Recipe
The classic Moscow mule, served up in a copper mug, is just a mix of vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. And you can totally switch it up with rum, tequila, or, you guessed it, bourbon. It’s so easy.
And since this one is called a Kentucky mule, you know it’s packed with the good stuff, a.k.a. Kentucky bourbon.
I’m a massive fan of Jefferson’s Reserve for this one; its honeyed fruit and caramel taste is just dreamy.
Ingredients: bourbon, ginger beer, lime juice, crushed iced, fresh mint (for garnish)
2. Best Bourbon Old-Fashioned
The old-fashioned goes way, way back to 1806 and is one of the very first cocktails ever recorded. It’s a classic for a reason!
It’s traditionally made with sugar, bitters, water, and a generous pour of bourbon or whiskey. This is the kind of drink you can really take your time with, making it slowly and sipping it even slower. Pure bliss.
Because the drink has bitters with those lovely orange notes, a simple piece of orange peel is the perfect garnish.
Ingredients: simple syrup, Angostura bitters, orange bitters, bourbon, ice cubes, orange peel & cherries (for garnish)
3. The John Collins Cocktail
I’m sure you’ve tried, or at least heard of, the classic Tom Collins. It’s a super refreshing mix of gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and club soda that was first written down in 1876, though people think it’s way older.
While Tom is botanical and perfect for summer, John is deep with notes of caramel and vanilla. Both are so refreshing, but this one just has more warmth to it. So, so good.
Ingredients: bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup or superfine sugar, ice cubes, club soda, lemon slices (for garnish)
4. Maker’s Mark® Man O’ War
The Man O’War is another one of those must-have Kentucky Derby cocktails. It’s actually named after the legendary horse, Man O’War, who won 20 out of 21 races back in 1920. WOWZA.
And since Man O’War was from Kentucky, this drink should really only be made with Kentucky bourbon. But hey, I won’t tell if you don’t have any!
Ingredients: bourbon, Orange Curaçao or Cointreau, sweet Vermouth, lemon juice, cherry juice (optional), maraschino cherries (for garnish)
5. Ginger Rabbit
This cocktail has a surprising amount of complexity; it’s so much more than just ginger, lemon, and bourbon.
First, you make a black tea and anise simple syrup for a little bit of spice, almost like a spiked iced tea. To that, you add Crème Yvette, a spirit made with parma violet petals, berries, honey, orange peel, and vanilla. It’s pretty sweet, and that violet taste and scent are really out there.
With that in mind, if you’re not a fan of Parma Violet candies, this one probably isn’t for you. It’s just not, okay?
Ingredients: bourbon, simple syrup, Crème Yvette, ginger, Angostura bitters, lemon peel
6. Raspberry Love Cocktail
Putting raspberry with bourbon might seem a little unusual, but the sweetness of the spirit is actually an amazing match for those sweet and tart raspberries. The orange and vanilla flavors in the bourbon make raspberry fit right in. It’s delightful.
You’ll lighten this one up with some citrus soda, which gives it a bubbly and clean, zesty finish. Yum!
Ingredients: Chambord raspberry liqueur, lemon-lime soda, bourbon, ice cubes, fresh raspberries (for garnish)
7. Bourbon Smash
This drink is the perfect mashup of a whiskey sour and a mint julep. And it gets its name from the way you make it, by muddling fresh mint with sugar and lemon before adding your spirit. This is how we roll.
It’s a lot like the bourbon sour, just with the addition of mint. Plus, this one is served on the rocks and isn’t meant to be strained.
Ingredients: mint leaves, lemon wedges, bourbon, maple syrup (or simple syrup), crushed ice
8. Bourbon Sweet Tea Cocktail
I just had to finish with a twisted tea drink. Bourbon is a Southern favorite, after all. And what’s more Southern than sweet tea? Ugh. I love it.
Just add some honey simple syrup, bourbon sour mash whiskey, and citrus bitters to your favorite iced tea recipe, and you’re good to go. You can use sweet tea if you like and skip the honey, or even find a honey-infused bourbon if you can!
Ingredients: honey simple syrup, bourbon, citrus bitters, Arnold Palmer Tea, ice cubes
9. Old Fashioned Paloma (Bourbon and Grapefruit Cocktail)
A classic Paloma is a mix of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit juice or soda. This bourbon version adds a little extra sweetness and depth of flavor, which balances the zing from the grapefruit juice just beautifully. It’s a favorite for us right now!
You can use grapefruit juice and citrus soda to get the flavors just right, or just go with grapefruit soda if you prefer. It’s delicious either way.
Ingredients: bourbon, Angostura bitters, grapefruit soda (or grapefruit juice and citrus soda), lime wedge (for garnish)
10. The Revolver Cocktail
This one was created in San Francisco by a bartender who had a few extra bottles of Bulleit bourbon he needed to use up. So, he whipped up this twisted take on a Manhattan. It’s got that smoky-sweet bourbon and a flamed orange peel you can smell from across the room.
And that’s where it gets its name, Revolver. Pretty cool, right?
Ingredients: dry bourbon, coffee liqueur, orange bitters, ice, orange peel (for garnish)
11. The Bourbon Sour
It’s no surprise that a classic whiskey or bourbon sour recipe has a ton of lemon juice. And depending on what you like, you might want to add even more lemon juice since bourbon is a bit sweeter than whiskey.
Either way, I really think you should use maple syrup; it just sings with the vanilla notes in the liquor. It’s a total showstopper.
Ingredients: bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup (or simple syrup), orange peel & cherries (for garnish)
12. Easy Bourbon Eggnog
Also known as ‘milk punch’ or ‘egg milk punch,’ eggnog is one of those drinks that people either totally love or totally hate. It’s full of milk, cream, sugar, and lots of eggs, making it a thick and creamy cocktail that’s almost like a boozy milkshake. So good!
Brandy is usually the go-to spirit, along with dark rum and Cognac. But this is a list of bourbon cocktails, so you can probably guess what’s in this one.
Ingredients: bourbon, eggnog
13. Bourbon Lemon Drop Martini
Lemon drop candies are so lip-smackingly good, and they always get your juices flowing. While this drink is definitely on the sour side, it’s not too much, thanks to the sweet bourbon and balanced Limoncello.
If you find that sour mixes are a little too bitter, you can use the recipe provided to make your own. Then you can get the sweetness just right. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure!
Ingredients: mint leaves, sour mix, bourbon, Limoncello, lemon slices & mint sprigs (for garnish)
14. Black Demure
There is absolutely nothing demure about this bourbon cocktail. The name actually comes from the use of Crème de Mûre, a super vibrant blackberry liqueur. It’s very sweet and is often enjoyed as a digestif after dinner.
Crème de Cassis would be a pretty good substitute, though the flavors are a little different.
Ingredients: bourbon, Crème de Mûre, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup, fresh blackberries & orange peel (for garnish)
15. Bourbon Apple Cider Hot Toddy
When the weather starts getting colder, the last thing I want at night is a glass filled with ice. And what’s a better way to warm up than a mix of hot bourbon, lemon, and honey? It just hits right every time.
Add a little splash of apple cider for some sweetness, and it won’t just warm you up; it will also help fight off any of those nasty winter bugs.
Ingredients: bourbon, honey, lemon juice, hot water, apple cider
16. Bourbon Renewal Recipe
Remember how I mentioned that the Black Demure would work with Crème de Cassis? Well, other people thought so too, and they came up with this rich, berry-flavored bourbon drink. This is where I live now.
It’s definitely more bourbon-forward than anything else, but the mix of berry liqueur, lemon juice, and bitters is just enough to cut through the alcohol.
Try it without the simple syrup at first, then add it to your liking.
Ingredients: bourbon, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, Crème de Cassis, simple syrup
17. Classic Bourbon Manhattan Cocktail
The Manhattan is one of the simplest cocktail recipes out there, calling for just three ingredients. And just like New York City, it’s intense, rich, and full of character.
All you do is add two parts bourbon to a shaker with one part sweet Vermouth and some bitters, then give it a stir. So easy, right?
Ingredients: bourbon, sweet Vermouth, Angostura bitters, orange peel & cherries (for garnish)
18. Bourbon Lemonade
Lemonade on its own is such a yummy summer drink. But when you add bourbon to it, it suddenly becomes something extra special. And if you use lemonade from the store, making it is a total breeze!
The amazing thing about this recipe is that you can toss all kinds of fruit into the pitcher, like citrus or fresh berries for some sweetness. Just muddle them a little before adding the liquids and let everything hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Life is good.
Ingredients: pre-made lemonade, bourbon, fruits, ice cubes
19. Mint Julep
Did you know that the mint julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby? It’s true! They serve more than 120,000 of them over that one weekend alone!
With a drink that’s this popular, it would be crazy not to try it, right? I mentioned before that the bourbon smash was a cross between the julep and a whiskey sour. So, while the sour brought the lemon, this drink is all about the mint flavor. It’s an 11/10 for me.
Ingredients: mint leaves, simple syrup, crushed ice, bourbon, mint sprig (for garnish)
20. The Brown Derby
Nope, this isn’t another Kentucky Derby cocktail, though where it came from is a little unclear. Some people say it’s named after the Brown Derby restaurant from old Hollywood, and it has appeared in different publications with different names over the years.
But whether you call it the Brown Derby or the De Rigueur, it’s just as delicious.
Ingredients: grapefruit juice, bourbon, honey simple syrup
21. Blizzard Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
If you need some festive cocktail recipes to serve at your next holiday party, this drink is for you. First off, it’s full of sweet and tart cranberries, which just scream festive season. Next, you’ll add some lemon juice and simple syrup to boost the fruity berries and balance the sour taste with a hint of sweetness. HELLO!
Finally, use a good bourbon that you would drink by itself. Otherwise, the flavor might be a little too strong.
Ingredients: bourbon, unsweetened cranberry juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, lemon twist & fresh cranberries (for garnish)
22. Bourbon Sidecar
Traditional Sidecars are made with Cognac and citrus, which makes them sweet and tart. Think of it as a lighter version of the whiskey sour. But where the sour just has lemon juice, the Sidecar has Cointreau in the mix. That makes it a bit boozier and gives it a mellower citrus flavor.
Ingredients: bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice, simple syrup, lemon or orange twist (for garnish)