What to mix with bourbon?

Question

Dargan Hermann · Answer

Whiskey drinkers around the globe have enjoyed bourbon for nearly two centuries. Known for its trademark dark flavor profile, this coveted liquid leaves an impression on even the most experienced drinkers.

But what makes this whiskey a perfect blend to create delicious and memorable cocktails? The intense flavor profile, often hints of vanilla and caramel tied together by earthy oak, is a delicious addition to drinks of all different types. By using bourbon, you automatically make a drink more complex, robust, and sophisticated.

In this article, we will teach you how to start making bourbon cocktails. We’ll start by learning the classic drinks known for including bourbon, then the seasonal drinks for your next house party or dinner, and lastly, the most complex cocktails for experienced drinkers to try their hands at.

Bourbon stands apart from its Irish, Scottish, and Japanese contemporaries.

For one, this uniquely American drink is famous for its high standard of craftsmanship. Aged in charred new oak barrels to garner the deep amber color and rich flavor profile, whiskey drinkers have come to love this corn-infused drink. Here at Oak & Eden, where whiskey is offered with a twist, we know that a multitude of mixed drinks can help make bourbon even more memorable than it already is.

While bourbon is easily enjoyed alone or on the rocks, it might be time you tried your hand at bourbon cocktails. The bourbon drinks on this list come in a variety of flavors to suit your mixology desires. Perhaps you are looking for something to unwind with at the end of the day, or maybe you have a dinner party approaching and want to serve something complex yet flavorful. Either way, bourbon is the answer.

Look no further than the bourbon whiskey cocktails we have compiled below. Whether you are just starting to enjoy bourbon as a novice whiskey drinker or have been drinking the coveted amber liquid for a long time, this curated list aims to help you perfect the art of the cocktail with the perfect ingredient: bourbon.

If you are just starting your bourbon cocktail journey, you will want to start by trying these more popular favorites! These are the drinks that are known for using bourbon and are a must if you are starting to consider yourself a bourbon lover.

The highball is as simple as it gets when mixing with bourbon. This cocktail is just whiskey mixed with soda and ice. It’s perfect for a last-minute drink idea when having friends over or perhaps a quick drink before heading out.

It may be old-fashioned, but boy is it popular. The first recorded definition of a mixed drink requires spirits, sugar, water, and bitters, and as you are about to read, the old fashioned ticks all the marks.

This is a sensuous drink that combines the deep flavor profile of bourbon with the sweet boost of simple syrup and maraschino cherries. A few dashes of bitters help to tie it all together. It is a trademark drink and a must-try for novice bourbon drinkers.

While this timeless drink is considered, well, old-fashioned, it might be one of the most popular cocktails ever.

If the old fashioned had to compete against another bourbon cocktail for popularity, the Kentucky mule would certainly be in strong competition. This drink contains fresh lime juice, ginger beer, bourbon, and simple syrup.

A cousin of vodka’s Moscow mule, the Kentucky mule is noted for its darker flavor profile. Be sure to mix this drink with high-end ginger beer to complement the robust flavor of the bourbon.

Typically made with rye whiskey, the manhattan is another popular favorite cocktail. Instead, making a Manhattan with bourbon gives the classic cocktail a more robust flavor profile, filled with notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel.

If you enjoy throwing seasonal parties, these mixed bourbon drinks are a must-try! While you can enjoy it any time of year, bourbon’s intense flavor profile is a perfect blend for those fall and winter favorites. It’s also a great way to spice up the summer classics!

Nothing says winter is coming quite like the bourbon apple cider. When the leaves begin to fall and the air becomes crisp, is there anything more relaxing and timely than this tasty cocktail? With only a few simple ingredients, this drink is easy to make and even easier to enjoy.

Throw another log on the fire and break out that cozy winter sweater because the bourbon apple cider is the perfect seasonal cocktail.

If the bourbon apple cider is synonymous with snowfall and warm fires, the bourbon sour could be its summery counterpart. The simple yet delicious mix of ingredients makes this drink a perfect blend for a nice relaxing sipper by the pool or perhaps something refreshing after a hard day's work.

This refreshing drink is perfect for anybody looking to sweeten up the flavor profile of bourbon. You don’t have to drink it during the summer, but if you can manage to be sitting by a pool while sipping on this lemon-infused bourbon sour, we tip our hats to you.

With summer fast approaching, you have probably begun to switch out your hot coffee with something cold and refreshing like cold brew! But did you ever think to add bourbon to the mix?

At Oak & Eden, we believe coffee and bourbon to be such a delicious pairing that we crafted the Bourbon & Brew, the perfect blend of award-winning bourbon whiskey and a spire steeped in cold brew.

Can’t get enough cold brew? Add our cold brew infused bourbon to a cold brew bourbon cocktail for a caffeinated flavorful drink built with a twist.

Are you feeling extra adventurous? Or perhaps you have already tried the Manhattan or the highball and are looking for something a bit more elaborate. Take a look at these complex bourbon mixed drinks!

One of our all-time favorite bourbon cocktail ideas is the blackberry bourbon smash. Part mint julep, part mojito, this drink is perfect for any time of the year. It offers drinkers a chance to delve into something tangy and lighter since this drink’s main ingredient is club soda.

Some mixed bourbon drinks offer the perfect blend of tradition found in the bourbon and the bright fruitiness found in the rest of the ingredients of the blackberry smash. You can enjoy this drink by a warm winter fire, taking in the hints of the smoky bourbon profile, or enjoy the hints of fruit on a refreshingly cool summer evening. Perfect for any occasion, the blackberry bourbon smash is a must-try creative cocktail.

If the sweeter flavor profiles of the blackberry smash do not interest you, this cross between the Manhattan and the Negroni is sure to entice. Simply flavored, this high-class drink packs a bold punch and can be enjoyed any time of year. Try drinking with one big ice cube or whiskey rock to minimize watering down the bold flavor profile.

Often referred to as the “Negroni’s cousin,” the Boulevardier cocktail is the perfect creative mix for a more sophisticated palette. Be sure to try it out at home or order it the next time you are looking for something more debonair to drink at the bar.

The complex, robust flavor profile of bourbon makes it a perfect ingredient in many classic cocktails. Try your hand at making them or ordering them at the bar, and you will not be disappointed. Getting creative with cocktails is one of the best ways to impress some friends and an excellent hobby for drinkers with refined taste. Start mixing today!

Sources:

13 Easy Bourbon Cocktails | The Kitchen Community

Easy Bourbon Apple Cider | Tidy Mom

Bourbon Sour Cocktail Recipe | Food Republic

Blackberry Bourbon Smash | Renee Nicole Kitchen

Trudy Bowdon · Answer

Ginger. Ginger can range in flavor from sweet to spicy and is an excellent whiskey sidekick in many cocktails. Coca Cola. Soda Water. Lemon. Apple Cider. Grapefruit Juice. Sweet Vermouth. Sour Mix.

Jahi Cambridge · Answer

That might explain why for some of us, building a bourbon sour cocktail or any other bourbon cocktail can be a little intimidating. With all this talk of tasting notes, honey barrels, and unicorn bottles, it’s understandable if the amateur mixologist finds themselves at a loss for where to begin, including what mixers to choose.

Maybe you want to impress your friends with your prowess behind the bar at your next cocktail party. Or maybe you’re wondering how to liven up that glass of bourbon you usually enjoy neat. Either way, wonder no more! Let’s have a little lesson on the best bourbon mixers.

If you don’t know much or anything about bourbon and are wondering what is the best bourbon for Whiskey sour, a little information can help make sure you craft a perfect bourbon drink, for yourself and others.

The simplest answer to this question is that bourbon is an American whiskey. But what sets bourbon apart from other whiskeys—what makes bourbon, bourbon—is a bit more specific.

The common wisdom says that all bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons. For a whiskey to be called bourbon, the following conditions must be met:

You’d think that for a liquor that is prohibited by law from containing any flavor additives, the taste of bourbon would be pretty standard from bottle to bottle. Plot twist: not so! It’s true that the major flavors of bourbon are oak, caramel, and vanilla. But depending on the mash bill, distillation, and aging process, bourbons can express a range of additional notes.

Most bourbons can be classified according to three basic flavor sets:

Bourbon’s general flavor profile makes it an excellent liquor for cocktails.3 But not all mixers are created equal. Choosing the wrong mixer can clash with or muddle the bourbon’s natural flavor, leaving you with a less-than-spectacular cocktail. So without further adieu, ready your cocktail shaker and let’s dive into the six best bourbon mixers you can buy.

When it comes to bourbon, it can be best not to overthink it. Sometimes, a splash or two of H2O is all that’s needed to make the perfect bourbon drink.

Bourbon is a strong liquor. Most bourbons on the market carry an alcohol-by-volume (ABV) of 40%. This is the standard alcohol concentration for most liquors, but it can still be enough to turn off some drinkers or distract from some of the more subtle flavors.

Adding water can cut the alcohol taste, letting those warm bourbon flavors come through. Tailor it to your tastes by gradually adding water until you get the exact flavor you want.

From vodka to rum, there are few liquors that don’t pair well with soda water—and bourbon is no exception. A classic bourbon cocktail recipe usually call for soda water, such as:

Soda water is perfect for diluting the bourbon so that it's more drinkable without influencing the flavor. Bourbon and soda are a classic go-to for a bourbon lover, but if you’re feeling creative, you can experiment by adding lime, pineapple, or orange bitters.

Coca-Cola is a popular and time-tested option for what to mix with bourbon. From the country club to the nightclub, you shouldn’t underestimate cola’s appeal. Who doesn’t love a good bourbon-and-cola?

The sweet taste of cola is what makes it such a stunning bourbon mixer. It helps cut down on the overt taste of alcohol, making the bourbon itself more drinkable for those with gentler palates. And cola’s sweet, spicy notes of vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon are the perfect complement to the oaky, caramel flavors of bourbon.

Toss some ice cubes in a glass, pour some bourbon over it, and hit it with your favorite cola for a truly tasty tonic.

Few mixers can enliven a cocktail quite like ginger can—which is why it remains such a popular go-to. Its fresh, zippy taste adds just the right amount of pizazz to your bourbon cocktail. And you can get it in a variety of forms, like:

You don’t have to be a maestro behind the bar to make a delicious cocktail with ginger. Simply mix your favorite bourbon with ginger beer, ale, or bitters, and you’ve got a classic Irish whiskey ginger.

For an especially refreshing drink, mix the bourbon with a few ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice and lemon peel or orange peel. Top the glass with ginger beer and add a mint sprig. Before you know it, you’re sipping on a Kentucky Mule and wondering how anything in life could be so good.

A stiff drink at the end of a long workday can help take the edge off of your nine-to-five. Unfortunately, it can also make you sleepy. A coffee-based cocktail can be a great way to ease into your evening without any unexpected journeys to the Land of Nod.

If you’re wondering what mixes well with bourbon that won’t zap your energy, coffee might just be the answer. The smoky sweetness of bourbon is a perfect match for coffee’s bitter cocoa flavors. For best results, choose a higher-proof bourbon for a bold and exciting taste.

Whether you’re drinking French press or cold brew, a little bourbon with your coffee can really energize your night.

You probably weren’t expecting apple cider to pop up on this list. But it turns out that iconic concoction is an exciting and unexpected way to spice up a glass of bourbon.

The sweet tartness of apple cider makes it a compelling addition to any bourbon. It can enhance a bourbon’s light, spicy notes and add just the right amount of sweetness. Throw in a little lemon juice, or some sweet Vermouth, and even some fresh ginger, and you’ve got yourself a tasty libation with seasonal flair. If you add in more lemon juice to make bourbon sidecar

In fact, apple cider can be a fun way to add a little zest to many classic liquors. Rum and cider, in particular, are an unlikely match made in cocktail heaven. In cooler weather, warmed cider is an especially delicious choice. For a spiked punch-like drink, you can add:

When the winter holidays roll around, you can switch out the cider for eggnog for a perfect wintry beverage.

Answering the question “What do you mix with bourbon” can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. But as you can see, that class American liquor lends itself to a variety of mixers. From simple additions like water or cola to bar staples like ginger and soda, bourbon plays well with others.

But sometimes, it’s nice to sit back and enjoy a drink you didn’t mix yourself. That’s where DRNXMYTH comes in. Our line of pre-made bourbon drinks is a guaranteed way to enjoy a fresh bourbon cocktail in a bottle. We have a range of flavors that are sure to please any palate. And the best part is, you don’t have to fret about choosing the right mixers or ingredients. Just pop the bottle open and enjoy.

From our classic Whiskey Sour and Bourbon Sour to our delectable Bourbon Berry Smash, DRNXMYTH’s pre-made handcrafted cocktails will tickle your taste buds and get any party started. Give us a try today!

Sources:

Shashant A.Burmawalla · Answer

Bourbon is an American classic associated with jazz, blues, and the American south- specifically Kentucky. It’s an American whiskey, grown and brewed in the USA, and it’s been the drink of choice of artists, musicians, and writers in history, like John Wayne, Raymond Chandler, Frank Sinatra, Dorothy Parker, and William Faulker. But how to drink bourbon – that’s the question.

Every bourbon whiskey lover has their favorite bourbon and their preferred way to drink it, but the old saying goes, “the best whiskey is the one you like to drink the way you like to drink it.”

Let’s explore some of the basics and how to drink bourbon. Then, if you’re new to the bourbon world, prepare your palate for some rich, oaky juice, and indulge in a classic American favorite.

We can’t simply pour a glass of bourbon and chug it. It’s a pleasure that should be enjoyed and fully experienced. If you’re tasting multiple bourbons, you’ll make distinctions easier than trying one at a time. Here are some things you should do before taking your first sip.

First, check out the label. Bourbon is a pretty broad category, so you want to familiarize yourself with the wording. First, look for the phrase “straight bourbon” because the juice is pure- nothing has been added to alter its flavors or colors. You want the real deal before you venture off into other sub-categories.

Next, check for an age statement. You won’t always find it, but it should be listed if it’s a premium bourbon. If there’s no age statement, the bourbon is on the younger side. However, if it’s straight bourbon, you know it’s been aged for at least two years.

Now check the proof of the bottle, which is just the “alcohol by volume” times two. Again, just because a bourbon has a high proof, it’s not necessarily better or stronger- only that it has more alcohol.

Not every bottle features a “Bottled-in-Bond” label, but some still do today. It was a federally-mandated label that was created out of necessity. Before the 20th century, bourbon was sold to taverns and bars by the barrel, and there was no way to distinguish whether there were any substances added that might cushion the bar owner’s profits and make the supply last. Some of these additives included iodine, tobacco spit (to maintain the color), and river water. In 1897, Kentucky’s Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor passed the Bottled-in-Bond Act, which increased the quality of the whiskey for the consumer and protected the distillers and the federal government.

If you’re curious where your bourbon was made, check the “distilled by” or “bottled by” portion of the label. Sometimes a spirit is distilled in one place and bottled in another, and sometimes both processes are done in the same place.

Special bourbon glasses aren’t required, but some shapes help enhance the aromas and tasting experience. Glasses with wider mouths allow you to smell the bourbon. A Glencairn glass is a curved glass made famous by Scotch drinkers that can help you capture the aromas of the juice, cueing up your other senses. You could also use a glass with a broad base and a tapered top to capture the aromas and funnel them towards the top. A shot glass generally won’t offer you this experience. If you choose to add a few drops of water to your bourbon, you might decide to use a brandy snifter, which would help concentrate your aroma.

A standard bourbon pour is the same as other whiskeys- 1.5 oz for a shot, 2 ounces for a neat pour or on the rocks, and 3 ounces for a double. Let it sit for a few seconds, swirl it, and open the aroma. Place your nose over the edge of the glass as you inhale and slightly open your lips so you can also get a hint of the taste. Each bourbon has its unique smells, but the most common descriptions are old wood, charred vanilla, caramel, smoke, and matches.

All bourbon begins clear as water, and some varieties are bottled this way- transparent; however, they are only aged for a year. Most other bourbons are aged longer, giving them a brown amber hue. This color is made when the bourbon “breathes” in and out of the char and wood of the barrel. When you pour it into your glass, swirl the glass around, and hold it up in a well-lit room. Notice how dark or light it is, how transparent it is, and how bright it is. This helps you determine the “clarity” between different bourbons. You might notice thicker drips that slowly slide down the glass's side- these are called “legs,” and they enable you to assess its alcohol content. The more the legs, the higher the alcohol content.

Now it’s time for your first sip. Let the juice roll across your tongue and move it around your mouth before swallowing it. Let the flavors linger in your mouth for a few seconds, and then breathe out through your nose and mouth at the same time to get the full range of flavors. Notice if there are fruity notes, earthy notes, or spices. Bourbon isn’t for chugging, so savor each moment of the experience.

Before we get into the specifics on how to drink it, what is bourbon? Where did it come from? And how is it made? Get a bottle ready because we’ve got your questions covered.

Bourbon is the namesake of its birthplace–Bourbon County, Kentucky. Originally made in the 1700s, it didn’t become well known until the 1860s. It was produced in Kentucky and shipped down the Mississippi River down to Louisiana- of course, making its way to Bourbon Street. By tradition, true bourbon comes from distilleries in Old Bourbon County, but new definitions in the laws allow the bourbon to be made anywhere in the US. However, the limestone water in Kentucky and the climate are two of the primary factors in determining the flavors of the final product. In honor of the tradition of real bourbon, most distilleries outside of Kentucky won’t use the term “bourbon” in their whiskeys.

Bourbon is a distinct type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged, distilled spirit made primarily from corn. Sweeter than other whiskeys, a quality bourbon tastes like charred vanilla and spice: Each distiller has its methods to produce its bourbon, but it must pass six specifications by law to qualify as bourbon.

Making bourbon is a lengthy process, but we will explore just the basics here. Most bourbons begin with a sour mash, which is a part of the residue of a previous batch of mash, that is set out overnight and then added to a new batch of mash. This process is similar to starting a loaf of sourdough bread. Bourbon is distilled from a fermented mash of grain, yeast, and water. It’s placed in charred American oak barrels and aged for as long as the distiller chooses. The typical aging period is anywhere from two to 12 years, and sometimes as long as 27 years. It takes on a deeper brown-amber color, a deeper flavor, and more sweetness as bourbon ages. Once a barrel is used, it cannot be used for bourbon again; but it can be used to age soy sauce and whiskey or made into furniture.

During the aging process, some of the liquid permeates through the wood of the barrel or cask. This is called the “Angel’s share.” There is also a certain amount absorbed into the barrel's char, which is called the “Devil’s share.”

After the aging period, the juice is bottled and shipped worldwide. By law, nothing can be added to the bottle besides water.

Most bourbons are made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley, but they can be divided into sub-categories depending on the percentage of each grain or the aging period.

There are a few ways to drink bourbon, and every bourbon lover has their favorite. Let’s explore some of the most common methods, and you can experiment until you find your favorite.

Bourbon purists drink their juice neat- which means it’s served at room temperature without anything added. It’s typically poured in a rocks glass, shot glass, snifter, or Glencairn glass. This is the preferred method for seasoned whiskey drinkers, but it’s a great way to get the real deal from a bottle of bourbon.

Our pick for drinking bourbon neat: Lucky Seven Spirits "The Jokester" 6 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey