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Often relegated to the chillier months of the year, bourbon is a true American-born spirit. Whether you like your bourbon drinks potent, like a classic boulevardier, or prefer something with a fresher, more fruity twist, we've got recipes that prove that bourbon can be the right choice for every palette and season.
Love Letters
Ingredients
1 oz bourbon
.5 oz Patron Citronge orange liqueur
7 dashes of Angostura bitters
7 dashes of Peychauds bitters
Champagne
1 lemon twist
Instructions
Add all ingredients (except champagne) into a chilled mixing vessel and stir for 15 seconds. Pour into a chilled coupe, top off with champagne and garnish with an extra long lemon twist.
Courtesy of the Rum House
Winter Spiced Old Fashioned
Ingredients
2 oz bourbon
.5 oz winter spiced simple syrup*
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Cinnamon stick
Instructions
Stir ingredients with ice. Strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick.
*To make the winter spiced simple syrup, simmer 1:1 simple syrup with clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
From YNK, Irvine, California
The Libertine
Ingredients
2 oz simple syrup
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 oz bourbon
2 oz fresh lemon juice
2 tsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 egg white
Instructions
Boil simple syrup and rosemary in a small saucepan, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup and add it to a shaker with bourbon, lemon juice, and marmalade. Add ice and shake. Pour into a glass with ice. Add maple syrup, orange juice, and egg white to the shaker. Shake until frothy and pour over co*cktail. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
Served at the Chandelier Bar in Las Vegas.
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Hot Toddy
Ingredients
8 oz hot water
1 tea bag
2 oz bourbon
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1 lemon slice
Instructions
Pour hot water into mug and steep tea for two to three minutes. Remove tea bag and add honey, whiskey, and lemon juice. Stir. Garnish with lemon slice.
MORE: How to Make a Hot Toddy the Right Way
Very Merry Bourbon Alexander
Ingredients
1 oz bourbon
1 oz crème de cacao
1 oz half and half
One egg white
Dash of simple syrup
Dash of salt
Instructions
Combine ingredients in shaker, add ice, shake vigorously, strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with nutmeg, cranberries ,and a sprig of rosemary.
By Monica Wolf
Thyme Will Tell
Ingredients
2 oz bourbon
.5 oz maple syrup
.5 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Thyme
Instructions
Muddle thyme then combine ingredients and serve on the rocks. Garnish with a lemon peel.
From The Sea Fire Grill in New York City
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Full Harvest
Ingredients
2 oz Basil Hayden's bourbon
.75 oz limoncello
.5 oz orange juice
.25 oz lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup
1 dash of cranberry bitters
1 egg white
Instructions
Shake hard with ice. Serve up in coupe glass.
From Péché in Austin, Texas
Star Hill Provisions House co*cktail
Ingredients
1.5 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 tsp fresh lemon Juice
4 oz Kentucky Ale-8-One (if unavailable, substitute your favorite ginger ale)
8 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions
Build all of the ingredients except for soda in a highball glass with ice. Top off with Kentucky Ale-8-One and stir once.
By Chef Newman Miller of Star Hill Provisions in Loretto, Kentucky
Bourbon Milk Punch Milk Punch
Ingredients
2 cups cream
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon
.75 cup sifted powdered sugar
Half of a vanilla bean
Fresh grated nutmeg
Instructions
In a metal bowl over an ice bath, whisk sugar, cream, milk, and bourbon until nice and frothy. Add vanilla bean and strain through fine mesh strainer into pitcher. Place pitcher in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour stirring on occasion. Pour into glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
From Sea Island Resort, Sea Island, Georgia
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Giro d'Italia
Ingredients
2 oz Elijah Craig bourbon
.75 oz fresh lemon juice
.75 oz agave syrup
2 cherry tomatoes
5 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Muddle tomatoes and four basil leaves. Add other ingredients and shake over ice. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with a basil leaf.
Created by Ruben Bansie and served at Bar Velo in Brooklyn, New York
Peach Tree Old Fashioned
Ingredients
2 oz Peerless bourbon
1 tsp Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup
4 large peach slices
2 dashes black walnut bitters
Orchid for garnish
Instructions
Muddle 2 Peach slices in a mixing glass, add all other ingredients and stir with ice for about 15 seconds. Double fine strain into a rocks glass full of crushed ice and garnish with remaining peach slices and orchid.
The Exene
Ingredients
1.5 oz Hudson Baby Bourbon
1 oz Aperol aperitif
.5 oz fresh lemon juice
.5 oz honey syrup
Half-dropper of Bittermens Elemakule Tiki Bitters
Instructions
Add ingredients to shaker with ice and shake to chill.
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Vintage Dream
Ingredients
1.5 oz Elijah Craig Bourbon
1 oz Paul Masson Brandy
1 oz Giffard Banana Liqueur
3 Dashes Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and serve with a large ice cube.
From Mess Hall Market in Tustin, California.
Winter's Eve
Ingredients
.25 oz Amaro CioCiaro
.25 oz maraschino liqueur
.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon
Lemon
Instructions
Prepare co*cktail in a mixing glass, fill with ice, stir for 25 seconds, let sit a few seconds more while preparing coupe glass. Pour co*cktail, squeeze lemon zest over co*cktail, discard the lemon, and garnish with maraschino cherry.
From Simbal, Los Angeles
Kentucky Mulled Cider
Ingredients
1.25 oz Maker's Mark Bourbon
Hot apple cider
Dash of allspice
Tall cinnamon stick
Lemon slice
Instructions
Add bourbon to a mug. Fill mug with hot apple cider and dash of allspice. Garnish with tall cinnamon stick and lemon slice.
From Maker's Mark
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Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
1.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 tsp lemon juice
.5 tsp sugar
Orange slice
Maraschino cherry
Instructions
Add bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar to co*cktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into chilled rocks glass. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.
From Bulleit Bourbon
Boulevardier
Ingredients
1.5 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon
1 oz Campari
.75 oz Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth
Orange peel
Instructions
Build ingredients in a mixing glass, using a jigger. Add ice and stir with bar spoon. Strain with a julep strainer into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with spritzed orange peel.
Cure for the Chicago Cold
Ingredients
1 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
.5 oz Aperol
.5 oz Amaro Montenegro
.5 oz lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
3 oz Rare Tea Cellars Emperor's Lemon Meritage tea, steeped
Instructions
Combine above in a metal shaker. Submerge the bottom of the shaker in another shaker filled with hot water and stir to combine and warm ingredients. Pour into a mug and top with hot tea. Garnish with a few gratings of cinnamon.
Courtesy of Spiaggia Restaurant & Lounge
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Biltmore Fuerte
Ingredients
2 oz Cutler's 33 Bourbon
.5 oz organic lemon juice
.75 oz strawberry purée
.75 oz honey
Honeycomb
Lavender flowers
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a co*cktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour over ice in a stemless wine glass. Garnish with honeycomb and fresh lavender.
Courtesy of Samantha Graham at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
Bless Your Heart
Ingredients
1 part Knob Creek Single Barrel
1 part Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur.
5 parts Punt e Mes
.25 parts fresh lemon juice
Garnish with Luxardo Maraschino Cherries on skewer
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a glass. Add ice and stir. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with cherries.
Lauren Hubbard
Writer
Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and co*cktails.
