Bourbon Cocktails

By Food & Wine
Updated March 05, 2018
Savanna Sturkie
Bourbon is one of our favorites spirits, and these cocktails put this whiskey in the spotlight. From a refreshing bourbon fizz to a sophisticated update on an old-fashioned, these drinks are refreshing, smooth and delicious. Try a maple-infused cocktail for a seasonal fall drink, or cool off with a Texas-inspired grapefruit sipper on hot summer days. Step up your bartending game with one of these easy, memorable cocktails recipes at your next party.
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Morrison Mule

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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In memory of Jim Morrison's stay at the historic Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans (and his affinity for whiskey), Benton Bourgeois of the hotel's Hot Tin bar offers this take on a classic Moscow Mule with bourbon and local Peychaud's Aperitivo. It's perfect for easy drinking any time of year.

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Maple-Bourbon Smash

Credit: Michael Turek
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Robb Turner uses his richly flavored dark amber syrup to make this riff on an Old-Fashioned cocktail.

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Rock 'n' Rolla

Credit: © David Malosh
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"I love this drink because it is immensely accessible and easy to make," says Bay Area bartender Chris Lane. "Really it's just a bourbon sour with a little flourish of spice and apple." Lane's inspiration for the drink: a local biodynamic apple cider.

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Alpine Manhattan

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Herbalist Shae Whitney makes a lovely pine syrup from fresh pine needles. She uses it in this strong and wonderfully fragrant drink.

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Palmer Park Swizzle

Credit: © Eva Kolenko
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The ultimate Southern refresher, this cocktail from the Bayou Bar at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans combines tea-infused bourbon, lime juice and mint for a boozy take on iced tea.

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Vanilla Old-Fashioned

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"We use Madagascan or Tahitian vanilla beans in our cocktails," says Thomas Wilson. "They are extraordinarily expensive but really make the drink."

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Bufala Negra

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At The Oakroom in Louisville, where Al Capone regularly played poker in the 1920s, the bartenders use bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Frankfort, Kentucky.

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The Big Texan Bourbon-and-Grapefruit Cocktail

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While not as well known as gin and juice, bourbon and juices makes a refreshing combination.

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The Bobby Boucher

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This drink is based on the 1930s Bobby Burns. Changing the Scotch in the original to bourbon made the drink Southern; trading some of the vermouth for cherry Heering made it a little sweet, says mixologist John Coltharp.

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Commodore 64

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This predinner drink at is Jason Chan's orange-infused variation on the Commodore No. 2 (bourbon, crème de cacao, lemon juice and grenadine) from the 1935 Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book.

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Kentucky Cousin

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Though it was created in Minneapolis, the Kentucky Cousin has distinctly Southern components: mint, bourbon and iced tea.

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Southern Cucumber

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Huston Davis believes muddled cucumber gives this drink a refreshing quality reminiscent of fresh-squeezed lemonade.

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Apples to Oranges

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People who taste this citrusy cocktail almost always guess that it contains apples or oranges or some other fruit, but never the actual ingredients: cucumber and grapefruit.

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Blueberry-Maple Caiprissimo

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A blueberry-rosemary flan led to this cocktail's unlikely mix of flavors.

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Wager

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After winning a bet with a guest about whether bourbon has to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky (it doesn't), Jeff Grdinich designed this cocktail with Bulleit Bourbon from Anderson County.

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Bourbon Fizz

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The nutty combination of amaretto and Frangelico makes this cocktail special.

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The Charleston Bog

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Mixologist Ralph Rosenberg wanted to create a bourbon drink that was appealing to non-bourbon drinkers. The result, which Rosenberg makes with Maker’s Mark bourbon, is this lightly sweet pink drink.

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Blanca Julep

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Bar manager Jennifer Zerboni likes to tinker with the classic mint julep during horse-racing season. She used to flavor this julep with a mint granité, but that proved “too sticky and messy.” Now she makes the drink with mint simple syrup.

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Gentleman Johnson

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This bourbon cocktail hails from Nashville's The Capitol Grille & Bar, a stately hotel bar that was once home to the Francis Craig Orchestra, credited with launching the career of jazz singer Dinah Shore in 1949.

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Black & Brown

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For this drink, Jeff Grdinich uses blackberries from his own garden, behind his house.

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Aqueduct

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This variation on the old-fashioned is named after the one horse racetrack located within New York City limits.

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Caffè Di Alpi

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Bartender Steve Peters dreamed up Caffè di Alpi ("Alpine Coffee" in Italian) as a deliciously warming après-ski drink.

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Linstead

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Linstead is the work of retired bartender Eric Palmer.

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Fields of Gold

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This version of a whiskey sour is a citrus-based drink that pairs well with Latin food; this one's designed for bourbon lovers.

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Stiletto

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Brandy-soaked cherries and small-batch Knob Creek bourbon distinguish this almond-tinged whiskey sour.

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Kentucky Special

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At The Woodsman Tavern in Portland, Oregon, mixologist Evan Zimmerman infuses cherry liqueur with the smoked tea Lapsang souchong. The result? An excellent riff on an old-fashioned.

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Bourbon Chai Milk Punch

Credit: © David Malosh
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To make this drink, which is like a delicious, boozy chai latte, Kenta Goto of New York City's Bar Goto infuses bourbon with chai tea, then shakes the drink with cream and maple syrup.

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Georgia on My Mind

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Beer, an increasingly popular mixer, adds carbonation and a pleasant funkiness to cocktails. The apricot ale here offers fruitiness, too.

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Americana

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Almost all of the cocktails at JP incorporate wine; the garnishes are made by chef Darren Bartley, who brandies peaches for this drink.

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Bizzy Izzy


Credit: Savanna Sturkie
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Oloroso sherry has been used in cocktails since before Prohibition, its sweetness and body a great match for aged spirits like bourbon. Tom Bullock uses both in the Bizzy Izzy, a cocktail from the classic 1917 book The Ideal Bartender.

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