Bourbon Cocktails

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.

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

"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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Linstead is the work of retired bartender Eric Palmer.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.