Our Favorite Bourbon Drink Recipes

Bourbon is an American classic that delivers every bit of comfort and warmth its southern roots promise. Made primarily from corn, this famous spirit shows up in just about every iconically-American imagery, always boasting its spicy and sweet notes championed by vanilla and caramel before melting into a subtle combination of fruits. 

If southern comfort food had to pick a drink to share in its title, bourbon and bourbon-spiked sweet tea would both be contenders—and not even mutually exclusive ones. It’s a tough decision, though, because your options for delicious bourbon drinks are many. To try some out for yourself, here are some of our favorite bourbon drink recipes.

Here are a few of our favorite bourbon drink recipes:

Sazerac

American history is geographically widespread and incredibly diverse. There are settings so different one from the next that they seem like different countries, even different worlds. One of these classical American settings is New Orleans. Along with the colorful, musical, aromatic city that never sleeps, it also offers us a remarkable bourbon drink tradition: The Sazerac. 

From apothecaries to fairies, the origins of this classic cocktail are both mystical and disputed, but it’s often called the first American cocktail—and a really, really great one at that. Cognac or rye are the traditional spirits, but bourbon also makes for a very tasty drink.

Ingredients for a Sazerac:

• 2 ½ ounces of bourbon
• 1 sugar cube
• 2 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
• Absinthe
• Lemon peel 

Directions to make a Sazerac:

1. Rinse a pre-chilled, old fashioned glass with absinthe, discard any excess, then fill with ice and set aside
2. In another old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar cube along with a few drops of water
3. Add a few small ice cubes along with the bourbon and bitters, then stir well
4. Empty the first glass and strain the contents of the second glass into the first
5. Add the lemon peel to garnish 

Old Fashioned

As the name suggests, this is another classic and timeless American cocktail. Originally named “whiskey cocktail,” and then “old-fashioned whiskey cocktail” before arriving at the now well-known “Old Fashioned,” you’ll be hard-pressed to find a classic cocktail connoisseur that doesn’t know this drink inside and out. 

Ingredients for an Old Fashioned:

• 1 sugar cube
• 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces of bourbon
• An orange peel to garnish

Directions to make an Old Fashioned:

1. In a chilled old fashioned glass, muddle the sugar cube along with the bitters
2. Add the bourbon 
3. Add one or two big ice cubes and stir for about 30 seconds to properly dilute and chill 
4. Garnish with the orange peel 

Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour is a fantastic shaken drink that will be sure to impress your guests with its unique silky texture and at least one shocking ingredient. 

Ingredients for a Whiskey Sour:

• 2 ounces of bourbon 
• ¾ ounce of fresh lemon juice 
• ¾ ounce of simple syrup 
• ½ orange wheel to garnish 
• 1 maraschino cherry to garnish 

Directions to make a Whiskey Sour:

1. Pour the bourbon, the simple syrup, and the lemon juice into your shaker 
2. Fill the shaker with ice, cover, and shake for about 20-30 seconds until the shaker is very cold 
3. Strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice 
4. Garnish with the orange peel and cherry 

Get all the ingredients you’ll need to make these bourbon drinks at your local Zipps Liquor store!

Visit your local Zipps Liquor store to stock up on your favorite beer, wine, & spirits!