Contents
Rating of the best cocktails based on bourbon (American corn whiskey) according to the authors of the AlcoFan website. When compiling a list of recipes, we were guided by taste, availability of ingredients and ease of preparation at home.
Any brand of bourbon is suitable for cocktails: Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and even Jack Daniel’s, although the latter is not exactly bourbon. , because it is filtered through maple charcoal, which is not provided by classical technology.
1. Mint Julep
The cocktail appeared at the end of the 2th century in Kentucky (the birthplace of bourbon). It turned out that corn whiskey pairs almost perfectly with mint. Now “Mint Julep” – the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby – the main horse races of the southern states, for 120 days of competition, spectators drink XNUMX thousand portions.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 60 ml;
- water (not carbonated) – 2 teaspoons;
- mint – 12 leaves (fresh);
- powdered sugar – 1 teaspoon;
- crushed ice.
Recipe: Add mint, powdered sugar and water to a chilled glass. Knead the mint until the sugar dissolves in the water (minimum 60 seconds). Leave the glass alone for 5 minutes, then pour in 40 ml of bourbon and fill the glass to the top with ice. Stir until the walls of the glass are covered with perspiration. Add the remaining bourbon (20 ml) and mix lightly. Garnish with a sprig of mint if desired.
2. Manhattan
For the harmonious combination of all components, connoisseurs call it the “king of cocktails”. According to legend, the recipe was invented by Jenny Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill. The drink is remembered for its mild but rich taste.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 60 ml;
- red vermouth (rosso) – 30 ml;
- Angostura – 2 ml;
- ice.
Recipe: Pour bourbon, red vermouth and Angostura into a mixing glass (pre-fill with ice). Stir, then pour into a glass for serving through a strainer (bar strainer). Garnish with a cocktail cherry. Serve with a straw.
3. Whiskey Sour
It is believed that the recipe for this cocktail was invented by “Professor” Jerry Thomas – one of the most famous bartenders in history. A great combination of bourbon and lemon juice, balanced with sugar.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 45 ml;
- lemon juice – 30 ml;
- sugar syrup – 15 ml (water and sugar in equal parts);
- egg white – 2-3 drops (optional);
- ice.
Recipe: Mix bourbon, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white in a shaker (gives a beautiful gentle foam). Pour the cocktail through a bar strainer into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon or orange.
4. Lynchburg lemonade
The recipe appeared in 1980 in the city of Lynchburg. The cocktail even featured in Jack Daniel’s commercials for a while, but then the author of the recipe sued the company for copyright infringement and the advertising campaign had to be stopped. Lynchburg lemonade is remembered for an interesting combination of bourbon and soda with hints of orange liqueur.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 50 ml;
- orange liqueur (Cointreau or Triple Sec) – 50 ml;
- soda Sprite or 7UP (or just soda) – 20-30 ml;
- sugar syrup – 10-15 ml;
- ice.
Recipe: Pour bourbon, orange liqueur and sugar syrup into a shaker with ice. Pour the resulting mixture through a strainer into a tall glass filled with ice. Top up with soda or soda to taste. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Drink through a straw.
5. Bourbon with cider (or apple juice)
Hot cocktail with bourbon, well warms and invigorates. Perfect for winter time. Cider can be replaced with apple juice.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 50 ml;
- apple cider (or juice) – 150 ml;
- cinnamon – 1 stick;
- green apple or orange – half (optional).
Recipe: Heat cider (apple juice) to 70-75 °C, but do not boil. Remove from heat, pour in bourbon, add cinnamon and sliced apple (orange). Stir, cover, leave for 3-5 minutes. Serve in cups or glasses.
6. Олд Фэшн (Old fashioned)
Another cocktail from the “homeland” of bourbon – the state of Kentucky. The recipe appeared in 1880 in the city of Louisville, but the name of the bartender who came up with it has not been preserved. The astringency of the bourbon in the drink is offset by sugar, and the liqueur adds interesting herbal notes.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 50 ml;
- Angostura – 5 ml;
- refined sugar – 2 pieces;
- soda – 10-15 ml (optional);
- orange peel;
- ice.
Recipe: put sugar into a cold glass like rocks or old fashion and moisten it with Angostura. Mash the sugar with a muddler (at home, with a wooden crush or just a spoon). Add ice, pour in bourbon and stir. Garnish with orange zest. If the taste is too harsh, dilute the cocktail with soda to taste.
7. New York Sour
An interesting combination of bourbon and red wine. The cocktail is easy to prepare and memorable for its original appearance. The recipe is believed to have originated in Chicago in the 1880s.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 50 ml;
- lemon juice – 25 ml;
- dry red wine – 25 ml;
- sugar syrup – 15 ml;
- egg white – from 1 chicken egg (optional).
Recipe: In a shaker with ice, combine bourbon, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white. Pour the mixture through a bar sieve into a serving glass filled with ice. Gently spoon in the red wine, which forms a nice top layer. Egg yolk gives foam. Drink in large sips to capture both layers at the same time.
8. Boulevardier
A cocktail with a bittersweet taste and herbal notes. The recipe was invented by the American writer and journalist Erskine Gwynn in the 20s. Since then, the Boulevard has been considered the signature cocktail of the literary elite.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 45 ml;
- sweet red vermouth – 30 ml;
- Campari – 30 ml;
- ice.
Recipe: fill mixing glass with ice, add bourbon, vermouth and Campari, stir. Pour the finished cocktail through a bar strainer into a serving glass. Garnish with orange zest. Serve without a straw.
9. Horse’s neck
Considered a truly masculine cocktail, it is popular among US military sailors. The recipe was invented in 1910 by one of the bartenders in San Francisco, who in this way wanted to make amends with the owner of the establishment.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 40 ml;
- ginger ale – 120 ml;
- Angostura – 2-3 drops;
- ice.
Recipe: Fill a tall glass with ice. Add bourbon and ginger ale. Mix. Add a few drops of Angostura. Garnish with orange or lemon zest. Serve with or without a straw.
10 Сазерак (Sazerac)
A harsh cocktail with bourbon and absinthe. Appeared in the 60s of the XX century in New Orleans. Now considered the official drink of the state of Louisiana.
Ingredients:
- bourbon – 50 ml;
- absinthe – 10 ml;
- sugar – 1 cube;
- bitter Peychaud’s – 3 drops;
- ice.
Recipe: Pour absinthe into a rock glass, twist it in your hand so that the absinthe washes the walls, and leave the glass aside. Fill another glass with ice, add bourbon, sugar and Pichot bitters. Mix. Pour the mixture from the first glass into the second glass (with absinthe) through a strainer. Garnish with lemon zest.
