79 Best Bourbon Cocktails - To Spark Ideas (2024)

Have you been looking for the best bourbon cocktails? Stand up and wave an American flag because you can’t get more American than bourbon whiskey. Did you know that in 1964, a Congressional resolution declared bourbon as America’s native spirit?

I’ve gathered recipes to show you the best bourbon cocktails. I’m encouraging you to wrap your head around the balance of ingredients in the recipes so one day, it will spark the best bourbon cocktail ideas of your own.

Best Bourbon For Beginners Tip

Choose a quality bourbon because you’re worth it. If you’re a bourbon beginner, start with tried and true bourbons such as Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, Bulleit, or Jim Beam. If you want to learn more about bourbon, then try this. If you are on a budget, invest in a Brita pitcher and filter cheap bourbon a few times. Yes, that’s a thing college students have been known to do.

What mixes best with bourbon? You’ll discover that the best bourbon cocktails pair well with lemon, orange, apple, peach, banana, berries, cherries, mint, vanilla, rose, chocolate, dairy, maple, honey, marmalade, ginger, bacon, beef jerky, vermouth, sherry, bitters, smoke, coffee, carbonated sodas, and more!

What Are the Best Bourbon Cocktails?

During my 40+ year bartending career, guests have often asked me, “What is the best bourbon cocktail?” My answer is always, “The one you like the best!” It truly comes down to what flavors you enjoy.

Begin by looking over the list to see which of the best bourbon cocktails contain ingredients that spark joy for your tongue or sound intriguing in your head. Gather the ingredients and make one (or two!). If you love and want to share it with friends, learn how to batch it for a dinner party or gathering.

When you’re ready to branch out and create signature concoctions, start exchanging a sweet ingredient with another sweet ingredient, a citrus ingredient with another, bitters with other bitters, etc. That’s how new cocktails are born!

My 79 best bourbon cocktails list is a variety of bourbon cocktails that include classic, award-winning, celebrity favorites, mentioned in film, TV, song, or literature, created by whiskey experts, well-known and not-well-known bartenders/mixologists/enthusiasts, and more!

Mint Julep

Bourbon • Simple Syrup • Mint • Crushed, Cracked, or Pebbled Ice

Photo from my 10th book, Knack Bartending | Photo by Susan Bourgoin

The Mint Julep is the #1 classic bourbon cocktail. It has been the official cocktail for the Kentucky Derby since 1939.

My Mint Julep Recipe

Items Needed: Bourbon, simple syrup, fresh mint, 10-12 ounce glass or julep cup, jigger, crushed or pebbled ice, and a straw.

Ice Tips

The best place to get pebbled/nugget ice is to pick up a 10lb bag at your local Sonic Drive-In for $2.00.

The easiest way to crush ice at home is by hitting ice cubes wrapped inside a clean cloth dinner napkin, hand towel, or pillowcase with a mallet, rolling pin, hammer, baseball bat, or whatever you have handy.

From there, you can move up to a bartender’s canvas Lewis ice bag or invest in equipment priced at $50, $200, $350, $500, to $4000 to make the ice you are trying to achieve

Ingredients: 3 oz bourbon, 1 oz simple syrup, and 5 sprigs of fresh spearmint. If you cannot find spearmint, then use peppermint. (Later, you can experiment and make mint-infused bourbon or simple syrup.)

Instructions: Slap the five mint sprigs on your hand for three seconds to release the mint oil. Pluck off the leaves from three sprigs and drop them into the bottom of your chosen vessel. Add the simple syrup and bourbon, then slowly add the ice. The ice will absorb the liquids like in a snow cone. Garnish with the remaining two mint sprigs, then add a straw.

Hollywood Mint Julep

Mint Julep in Film: 1934 Judge Priest • 1938 Jezebel • 1940 Dance, Girl, Dance • 1940 Go West • 1941 The Great Lie • 1941 The Man Who Came To Dinner • 1947 The Lady in the Lake • 1950 Father of the Bride • 1951 Go For Broke • 1954 Vera Cruz • 1958 Auntie Mame • 1959 The Horse Soldiers • 1960 It Started in Naples 1961 One, Two, Three
1964 Goldfinger • 1986 No Mercy • 1988 Big Business 1993 Death Train • 2000 Best in Show 2002 Manna From Heaven • 2003 Sonny 2005 Thank You For Smoking • 2009 Midnight Bayou • 2009 Adventureland 2009 My Old Kentucky Home • 2010 Valentine’s Day 2013 Anchorman 2 • 2015 American Justice • 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Mint Julep in TV: 1967 Star Trek • 1978 M.A.S.H.• 1979 The Dukes of Hazard
1982 Magnum P.I. • 1986 The Golden Girls • 1993 Lois and Clark • 1997 (&1999 & 2011) The Simpsons • 1997 ER • 1999 The Practice • 2001 CSI • 2007 Boston Legal • 2007 The Big Bang Theory • 2008 Mad Men 2014 NCIS • 2011 Royal Pains • 2012 Gossip Girl
2012 Hart of Dixie • 2012 Up All Night

Mint Julep in Song: 1938 You Go to My Head • 1957 You Hit The Spot • 1961 One Mint Julep • 1973 Mame • 2004 The Brouhaha • 2013 Trying to be Cool
2013 Kentucky Dirty

Mint Julep in Literature: 1809 A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty by Washington Irving • 1843 Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens • 1969 Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain • 1925 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Without Faculty Bourbon Cocktail

Bourbon • Giffard Banana Liqueur • Ginger Syrup • Lemon Juice • Bittermens Tiki Bitters

The Washington D.C. bartender Tony Burke created the Without Faculty Bourbon Cocktail.

Pearly Gates

Angel’s Envy Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels • Amontillado (Medium Dry) Sherry Fig-Espresso Syrup

Pearly Gates is a cocktail creation from whiskey expert Reese Sims, aka Whiskey Muse.

Bourbon Milk Punch

Bourbon • Milk • Vanilla Extract • Simple Syrup • Nutmeg

I have lived in the French Quarter for 13 years, and this Bourbon Milk Punch recipe from Sonja and Alex Overhiser at ACoupleCooks.com is how you will get it in New Orleans.
Note: If you ever visit New Orleans, you should know that Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House restaurant, located at 144 Bourbon Street, is famous for its Frozen Milk Punch.

Halekulani

Bourbon (overproof) • Pineapple, Orange, and Lemon Juices • Grenadine • Demerara Syrup Angostura Bitters

The Halekulani cocktail was created in the 1930s at the Halekulani Hotel in Hawaii.

Forbidden Sour

Bourbon • Pama Pomegranate Liqueur • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup

Veteran NYC bartender and beverage consultant Eben Freeman created the Forbidden Sour.

Paper Plane

Bourbon • Aperol • Amaro Nonino Quintessentia • Lemon Juice

In 2008, the Paper Plane was invented by award-winning and longtime Milk & Honey bartender Sam Ross for Chicago’s debut Violet Hour cocktail menu.

Brother’s Root Beer Float

Brother’s Bond Bourbon • Chocolate Ice Cream • Root Beer • Whipped Cream • Chocolate Drizzle Luxardo Cherries

Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, who shared the screen as brothers in eight seasons of the Vampire Diaries, also came together to create Brother’s Bond Bourbon.

Bourbon & Root Beer At Two Ends Of The Cocktail Spectrum

For a fun other-end-of-the-cocktail-spectrum, compare the Brother’s recipe with The Fresh Rootbeer Bourbon Cocktail from the greatest Japanese bartender, Hiroyasu Kayama.

Whiskey Sour

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Egg White (optional)

Award-winning Vinepair says that at the peak of its popularity, between the 1860s and 1960s, the Whiskey Sour was second to none. Get the recipe, a video, and a little history from top cocktail historians in the business.

Hollywood Whiskey Sour

Whiskey Sour in Film: 1933 Blood Money • 1942 The Major and the Minor • 1945 Dead Of Night • 1949 Flamingo Road • 1950 In A Lonely Place • 1955 Seven Year Itch • 1957 Island in the Sun • 1965 Ship Of Fools • 1972 Avanti • 1974 Deranged 1986 At Close Range 1998 There’s Something About Mary • 1997 The Beautician and the Beast • 1998 The Last Days Of Disco • 2002 American Psycho II • 2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days • 2004 Opening Night • 2009 The Talented Ms Boddiker • 2013 Not Fade Away • 2014 By the Gun 2015 Cavemen • 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Whiskey Sour in TV: 1980 M.A.S.H. • 1996 The Simpsons • 1999 Everybody Loves Raymond • 2000 Will & Grace • 2000 (& 2005) The West Wing • 2002 CSI • 2004 The O.C. 2004 Gilmore Girls2006 Everwood • 2007 (& 2011) Desperate Housewives • 2008 True Blood • 2009 Men of a Certain Age • 2010 Parenthood 2010 (& 2013) Mad Men • 2011 Greek • 2011 Friends with Benefits • 2011 In Plain Sight • 2012 Are You There, Chelsea? 2012 GCB • 2012 Drop Dead Diva • 2013 Longmire • 2013 Archer • 2013 Bomb Girls
2015 Hart of Dixie • 2015 Grace and Frankie

Whiskey Sour in Song: Nice Boy Like Me by Barry Manilow • Love You Like a Brother by Daryl Hall and John Oates • Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness by Elvis Costello • Hard on the Ticker by Tim McGraw • Five O’Clock Angel by Luke Bryan • Rusty James by Green Day • Whiskey Sour by Kane Brown.

Celebrities Who Love Whiskey Sours: Taylor Swift • Mila Kunis • Johnny Depp

Blueberry & Ginger Bourbon Sour

Bourbon • Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup Blueberries

At some point, word spread that Johnny Depp ordered Blueberry & Ginger Bourbon Sours off the Paris Buddha Bar cocktail menu because it’s all over the internet. Quickly learn to make this yummy cocktail at YouTube’s Let’s Get Boozie.

Note: Let’s Get Boozie took the extra step to make blueberry syrup instead of crushing fresh blueberries with simple syrup for one made-to-order cocktail. You can do that too! Just follow the author of Homemade Happy Hour’s easy homemade blueberry syrup recipe at MittenGirl.com.

Apricot and Honey Bourbon Sour

Bourbon • Bitters • Honey Apricot Syrup • Mint • Lemon Juice

Jay and Leah Nom at Gastronom: Libations and Spirited Travel show you how to make their Apricot and Honey Bourbon Sour. They will teach you how to make homemade honey apricot syrup too.

Kentucky Mule

Bourbon • Ginger Beer • Lime Wedge Garnish

This is a Moscow Mule spin-off. Just substitute vodka for bourbon. All you need is a copper mug (or 12 oz glass), 1.5 oz of bourbon, 4 oz ginger beer, a lime wedge garnish, and ice.

Note: Ginger beer is non-alcoholic. The lime is put on the rim so the drinker can squeeze the juice into their drink if desired.

Ice Tips

If using the automatic ice cubes from your home refrigerator or any thin ice, then add the ice last to avoid too much water dilution. You don’t want an extra 2-4 oz of water added.

If you have nice solid square cubes, you can add the ice first because there will be a lower dilution rate.

Weathered Axe

Bourbon • Combier L’Original Liqueur d’Orange • Cocchi Americano • Homemade Ginger Syrup Absinthe

Chicago bartender Danny Shapiro at Scofflaw created the Weathered Axe.

Sour Grapes

Bourbon • Pinot Noir Syrup • Clément Mahina Coco • Lemon Juice

Sour Grapes was created by Bartender Mike Capoferri of Thunderbolt in Los Angeles.

Cocktail: Pretty Please

Bourbon • Rye • Bénédictine • Limoncello • Honey Syrup

Canadian bartender Joshua Medaglia created the Cocktail: Pretty Please.

Black Demure

Wild Turkey Bourbon • Massenez Cremé de Mure • Cointreau • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup

The Black Demure was created by NYC superstar bartender and more, Ms Franky Franky Marshall.

Allegheny

Bourbon • Dry Vermouth • Blackberry Liqueur • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup

The Allegheny was created by NYC superstar bartender and more (again), Ms Franky Franky Marshall.

Hollywood Allegheny

Ms. Franky Franky was the bartender for the Very Local TV travel show In Transit with Esquire editor-in-chief Dave Holmes. This cocktail was made for Holmes and actress Busy Phillips.

Bourbon Manhattan

Bourbon • Sweet Vermouth • Angostura Bitters

Traditionally, a classic Manhattan is made with rye whiskey, but many like it with bourbon. A Bourbon Manhattan can be served on the rocks or up (short for straight up, which means chilled then strained).

Manhattan Variations

Perfect Manhattan – half sweet and half dry vermouth
Dry Manhattan – replace the sweet vermouth with dry with a lemon twist
Reverse/Upside Down Manhattan – switch the ratios of the bourbon and vermouth
Rob Roy – replace the bourbon with Scotch
Brandy Manhattan – replace the bourbon with brandy (popular in Wisconsin)

Hollywood Manhattan

Manhattan in Film: 1928 Manhattan • 1932 The Thin Man • 1955 Some Like It Hot
1967 The Producers • 1980 American Gigolo • 2002 About Schmidt
2003 Mona Lisa Smile • 2004 Opening Night

Manhattan in TV: 1985 Golden Girls • 1995 ER,• 2007 Mad Men • 2010 Rachel Maddow Show.

Not Your Mama’s Iced Tea

Duke Bourbon • Chilled Pekoe Tea • Orange Juice • Honey Syrup

Duke Bourbon is named after legendary actor John “The Duke” Wayne. His son, Ethan, says he remembers his father talking about how he wanted to own his liquor one day. Thirty years after his father’s death, Ethan looked through Wayne’s belongings and found an unopened crate with a message and a reserve of bottles dating back to 1962.

Bourbon Coffee Cocktail

Bourbon • Chocolate Liqueur • Espresso • Orange Bitters • Simple Syrup

Vlad makes two versions of his Bourbon Coffee Cocktail; one for those stuck at home with limited ingredients and bar tools during the pandemic and another for those who were not.

Vlad Buryanov aka Vlad SlickBartender

Vlad is my favorite type of bartender. Fun and knowledgeable with a twinkle in the eye. With almost 2.5M YouTube followers, Vlad SlickBartender is the second most-watched YouTube bartender. During the pandemic, he gained 10M TikToc followers. As a Ukraine teenager, he didn’t look back after seeing Tom Cruise flip bottles in the film, Cocktail. He went on to win seven Ukrainian Champion flair bartender competitions and three World Champion flair bartender competitions and then moved to Las Vegas, the flair capital of the world.

Revolver

Bulleit Bourbon • Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur • Orange Bitters • Flamed Orange Zest

In 2004, San Francisco bartender Jon Santer created the Revolver at Bruno’s, then took the cocktail to Bourbon & Branch.

New York Bourbon Sour

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Egg White • Red Wine

Simply put, a New York Bourbon Sour is a Bourbon Whiskey Sour with a red wine float. It has been around since the 1800s.

Blood Brothers

Brother’s Bond Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Port

This is from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley of the Vampire Diaries, who also came together to create Brother’s Bond Bourbon.

The Blood Brothers cocktail is a New York Bourbon Sour with Port instead of red wine.

Bourbon Old Fashioned

Bourbon • Sugar • Bitters

Ahhh, the Old Fashioned. I can faintly hear the old men from the late 1800s complaining of the fancy schmancy cocktails and saying, “Barkeep, just give one of those old fashioned kinds of drinks.”

Like the Manhattan cocktail, the Old Fashioned is traditionally made with rye whiskey, but people enjoy it with Bourbon.

You would think finding a good example of the modern Old Fashioned — a cocktail with only three ingredients — would be easy. But you see, there are various Old Fashioneds throughout time.

The early to mid 1800s Bourbon Old Fashioned came with a shard of ice harvested from a lake or pond garnished with a lemon peel. Mark Twain even wrote about it looking like a jewel. Later, rye whiskey was the spirit of choice, with an orange peel garnish. The 1940s-2000s Old Fashioned had a muddled orange and cherry at the bottom. And since the second cocktail revolution started (the late 1990s), bartenders have returned to the old ways. Some use granulated sugar and some simple syrup.

After one hour of looking online, this is the best Old Fashioned example I found for you. How not to make a Bourbon Old Fashioned.

Hollywood Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned had a resurgence due to the TV show Mad Men (2007-2015). But when Ryan Gosling expertly made an OF in the 2011 film Crazy, Stupid, Love, it seemed like everyone was walking into the bar ordering an Old Fashioned. That’s the power of cocktails in media.

Kentucky Sunrise

Jim Beam Bourbon • Orange Juice • Grenadine

Tip: Upgrade this cocktail using fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade grenadine.

Hollywood Jim Beam Bourbon

Jim Beam has had many celebrity spokespersons since the 1960s; Sean Connery, Bette Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. When Mila Kunis came on board, the sales skyrocketed by 43%.

Benton’s Old Fashioned aka Bacon Old Fashioned

Benton’s Bacon Infused Four Roses Bourbon • Angostura Bitters • Vermont Maple Syrup

Sometimes a bartender creates a cocktail that changes the game. Don Lee did with his Benton’s Old Fashioned when working at the famous NYC speakeasy PDT (Please Don’t Tell).

Don Lee heard about the process of infusing fats with liquor from molecular bartender Eben Freeman who heard it from a chef. The process is called fat washing, which traveled like a rocket worldwide. The Educated BarFly also talks about fat washing. Other bartenders infused duck fat, butter, every oil flavor imaginable, peanut butter, and more.

Tip: Benton’s bacon is from Tennessee. You can order it online. When replicating Benton’s Old Fashioned, it’s highly recommended not to use your local grocery store’s Jimmy Dean-type brands of bacon.

Brand-New Sour

Bulleit Bourbon • Bitter Digestivo Liqueur • Honey Syrup • Pinch of Salt • Citrus Stock Blend (60% lemon juice: 40% broiled lemon husks) • Teapot Bitters

Brand-New Sour is a UBSG World Class Diageo award-winning cocktail by Laura Newman. Laura is the first female to win the U.S. title in 2018.

The Frozen Turkey

Wild Turkey Bourbon • Butter Pecan Ice Cream • Amaretto

The Frozen Turkey is a boozy milkshake of sorts. It’s perfect for serving at Thanksgiving. I think the face of Wild Turkey Bourbon, Matthew McConaughey would even like it. You could also trade out the amaretto for butterscotch schnapps.

Boulevardier

Bourbon • Campari • Sweet Vermouth

The Boulevardier (bully-ee-VAR-de a) is a bourbon Negroni. Just substitute gin for bourbon.

Kentucky Bird Cocktail

Bourbon • Campari • Passion Fruit Syrup • Lemon Juice • Oleo Saccharum • Saline

San Diego bartender Stephen Kurpinsky created the Kentucky Bird Cocktail.

Bourbon • Aged Rum • Oloroso Sherry • Giffard Banane du Brésil • Pure Vanilla Extract
Angostura Bitters

Luxurious Lemur

Bartender Sam Treadway of Backbar created Luxurious Lemur in Somerville, MA.

Oak Wood Jungle

Cooper’s Craft Bourbon • Campari • Coconut Milk • Pineapple and Lime Juices Demerara Syrup

The Oak Wood Jungle is a recipe from Brown-Forman’s Coopers’ Craft brand of bourbon.

Bardstown Sling

Bourbon • Peach Brandy • Peach Pureé • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Peach Bitters • Nutmeg

The Bardstown Sling is a creation from the book Contemporary Classic Cocktails by The Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim. Tony is regarded as one of the world’s pioneering and leading bar professionals.

Bourbon Sidecar

Bourbon • Cointreau (premium orange liqueur) • Lemon Juice

A Bourbon Sidecar is just a classic sidecar with bourbon in place of brandy. If you use vodka, then it’s called a Lemondrop.

Noggin on Heaven’s Door

Heaven’s Door Bourbon • Eggnog

Heaven’s Door Bourbon was launched by longtime singer and songwriter Bob Dylan.

The Noggin on Heaven’s Door recipe is simple. Only two ingredients, 2 oz Heaven’s Door Bourbon and 4 oz eggnog, are poured over ice in a 12 oz glass.

Eggnog Choices

You can purchase eggnog in your nearest grocery store during the holiday season, or you can make eggnog at home. If you want to learn how to make eggnog to order, check out San Francisco bartender Erik Adkins recipe on YouTube.

Gold Rush

Bourbon • Honey • Lemon Juice

A Gold Rush is a Bee’s Knees with bourbon instead of gin.

Ginger Gold Rush

Bourbon • Ginger Liqueur • Lemon Juice

The Ginger Gold Rush is a Gold Rush with ginger liqueur in place of honey.

French 95

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Sparkling Wine

The French 95 is a French 75 made with bourbon.

I found a good and simple recipe for a French 75 for you to follow. Just substitute the gin for bourbon to make a French 95.

John Collins

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Seltzer

The John Collins is a Tom Collins with Bourbon.

The Fourth and One Bourbon Smash

Bradshaw Bourbon • Lemons • Mint • Simple Syrup

Bradshaw Bourbon is owned by former American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Terry Bradshaw. After retiring, Bradshaw became a co-host on Fox NFL Sunday and rolled out his bourbon. Dale “King Cocktail” Degroff does a great job showing you how to make a Whiskey Smash.

Pass The Buck

Bulliet Bourbon • Ron Zacapa 23 • Fresh Pressed Apple Juice
Lemon Juice • Cranberry Syrup • Ginger Beer

Pass The Buck is a UBSG World Class Diageo award-winning cocktail by Chris Cardone.

Chris is the first flair bartender to win the U.S. title.

Bourbon Bird and Bourbon Legend

Wild Turkey Longbranch Bourbon • Campari • Pineapple & Lime Juices • Simple Syrup
Wild Turkey Longbranch Bourbon • Grand Marnier • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup

Two birds: two bourbon cocktails. Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell created Wild Turkey Longbranch. Check out the recipes for Bourbon Bird and Bourbon Legend.

Rhubarb Julep

Maker’s Mark Bourbon • Rhubarb Cordial • Mint • Soda Water

This Rhubarb Julep is so pretty in pink. It’s another cocktail creation from whiskey expert Reese Sims, aka Whiskey Muse.

Anada Spritz

Bourbon • Cynar • Amaro Nonino • Angostura Bitters • Sparkling Wine
Pineapple and Lemon Juices • Palm Sugar Syrup • Pineapple Chunks

Francisco bartender Scott Wolff at the Burma Club created the Anada Spritz.

Brown Derby

Bourbon • Grapefruit Juice • Honey Syrup

The Brown Derby is a Gold Rush with grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice.

Rosemary Brown Derby

Bourbon • Grapefruit Juice • Honey Syrup • Rosemary

The Rosemary Brown Derby is a Brown Derby with added rosemary. I only suggest torching the rosemary garnish to create a great smell.

Bourbon Lift

Bourbon • Coffee Liqueur • Heavy Cream • Orgeat • Chilled Club Soda

Watch San Francisco bartender Erik Adkins make a Bourbon Lift.

Blue Kentucky Girl

Bourbon • Salted Corn Syrup • Lemon Juice • Orgeat • Heavy Cream • Egg White • Soda Water

Brooklyn bartender Leanne Favre created the Blue Kentucky Girl.

BSB Not So Old Fashioned

BSB – Brown Sugar Bourbon • Bitters

BSB – Brown Sugar Bourbon is the brainchild of award-winning actor Jamie Foxx. All you need to do is pour 2 oz over ice, add bitters of your choice, then garnish

Hot Toddy

Bourbon • Honey • Lemon • Hot Water

The Hot Toddy is a classic cold-weather cure-all. Some add a tea bag as well.

Chef Bobby Flay’s Bourbon Apple Hot Toddy

Bourbon • Apple Cider • Brown Sugar • Vanilla Bean • Whipped Cream

Click here for the recipe and watch celebrity Chef Bobby Flay make his Bourbon Apple Hot Toddy.

Kentucky Mai Tai

Bourbon • Amaro Angelino • Avocado Pit Orgeat • Lime Juice

Actor/director/bartender turned YouTube cocktail instructor Leandro DiMonriva invented the Kentucky Mai Tai. You can also watch him make his cocktail on YouTube.

Emeril Lagasse’s Bourbon Spiked Sweet Tea

Bourbon • Orange Pekoe Tea • Lemon & Lime Juices • Sugar

Emeril Lagasse made his Bourbon Spiked Sweet Tea on Live with Kelly and Ryan.

Flex Yo Hustle

Bulleit Bourbon • Coconut Milk-Oolong Tea Syrup • Lemon & Lime Juices • Egg White Cardamom-Infused Cream • Coffee-Bourbon Caviar • Soda Water

Katie Renshaw’s Flex Yo Hustle cocktail helped her win American Bartender of the Year at the USBG World Class competition.

Kentucky Buck

Bourbon • Angostura Bitters • Ginger Syrup • Strawberries • Lemon Juice • Soda Water

San Diego bartender Erick Castro of Polite Provisions created the Kentucky Buck.

Subourbon

Bourbon • Aged Sweet Vermouth • Cranberry Juice • Angostura Bitters • Blackberries

In 2010, the Subourbon was created by London bartender David Steenkamp for celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant, Berbecoa.

Arrowhead

Bourbon • Clear Creek Douglas Fir eau de vie • Caol Ila Single-Malt Scotch • Mathilde Liqueur Poire • Angostura Bitters • Maple Syrup

NYC bartender Shannon Tebay at Death & Co. created the Arrowhead.

Charles Joly’s Kentucky Joe

Bourbon • Galliano • Honey • Coffee • Orange and Lemon Peels • Baking Spices

He made his Kentucky Joe on the Rachel Ray show.

Charles Joly

Charles Joly is a rockstar in the cocktail world. He was the first American to win the USBG World Class competition, created and served cocktails at The Academy Awards and Emmy Awards, a James Beard award, and much more.

The Charleston Bog

Bourbon • White Cranberry Juice • Honey Syrup • Raspberries • Mint • Limes

The Southern Blueprint created the Charleston Bog.

BD4

Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon • Antica Formula Vermouth • Earl Grey Tea Syrup
Aztec Chocolate Bitters • Cherry bark Vanilla Bitters

In 2022, New York’s Albert Pero won the Garrison Bourbon Brawl American Bartender of the Year with his cocktail, BD4. The brawl is an exciting competition in that bartenders have to create a cocktail in ten minutes after various mystery ingredients are revealed.

Bourbon Bramble

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup • Crème de Mûre

The Bramble was created by London bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s and has remained a classic for bartenders worldwide. To make a Bourbon Bramble substitute the gin for bourbon. Crème de Mûre is s French blackberry liqueur.

Bluegrass Cobbler

Bourbon • Maraschino Liqueur • Brandies Cherries • Orange Slice • Pineapple Stick • Lemon Juice • Simple Syrup

Longtime rockstar bartender and consultant Abou-Ganim created the Bluegrass Cobbler.

Kentucky Lemonade

Bourbon • Lemon Juice • Sugar • Mint • Gingerale

This Kentucky Lemonade is made with fresh ingredients.

Artichoke Hold, An Old Fashioned Riff

Bourbon • Cynar • Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

At Kettner Exchange, San Diego bartender Steven Tuttle created the Artichoke Hold, An Old Fashioned Riff.

Lion’s Tail

Bourbon • Allspice Dram • Lime Juice • Simple Syrup • Angostura Bitters

The Lion’s Tail has been around since 1937.

The Mystical One

Bourbon • Cinnamon Syrup • Lemon Juice • Egg White • Sage

NYC bartender Natasha David at Nitecap created The Mystical One.

Boo Radley

Bourbon • Heering Cherry Liqueur • Cynar

New Orleans bartender Chris Hannah at French 75 created the Boo Radley.

Iron Ranger

Bourbon • Velvet Falernum Liqueur • Pineapple and Lemon Juices
Homemade Cinnamon Syrup

San Diego bartender Erick Castro at Raised by Wolves created the Iron Ranger.

Three Wisemen (shot)

Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey • Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

I’ve known this shot to be around since the 1980s. Just fill a shot glass with equal parts of each whisk(e)y.

FAQ

Q. What is the best bourbon for cocktails?

A. Of course, that question is a matter of taste. Like everything, the most expensive does not equate to the best. For example, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 25 year old is $5000, but Weller is produced in the same distillery at a fraction of the cost. I’ve tasted both. But, when mixing it with other flavors in a cocktail, you lose many of the bourbon notes found when drinking it neat or on the rocks. I recommend staying with the tried and true bourbons for cocktails.

Q. Why does Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky spell “whisky” without an “e?” I thought American and Irish whiskey was supposed to be spelled with an “e,” and Scotland and Canada spelled their whisky without the “e”.

A. In 1953, the creators (Samuel’s family) decided to pay homage to their Scottish-Irish heritage.

Q. I don’t see any best bourbon cocktails with Jack Daniel’s in it except for the Three Wiseman shot. Isn’t Jack a bourbon?

A. Good Question! That is because Jack Daniel’s is an American whiskey, not bourbon whiskey. Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey. America makes five types of whisky; Bourbon, rye, Tennessee, blended, and corn (moonshine).

Wrap Up

Did you enjoy the best bourbon cocktails I put together for you?

There will always be new “best bourbon cocktails” in the future. After all, millions of Americans turn age 21 each day, and the younger generation always comes up with new ideas.

Thank you for reading my Best Bourbon Cocktails blog page. There’s more to come! Cheers!