The Best Bourbon Cocktail Recipes, From Undeniable Classics to New Twists (2024)

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

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

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 cocktail. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Served at the Chandelier Bar in Las Vegas.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Ingredients

.25 oz Amaro CioCiaro
.25 oz maraschino liqueur
.75 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1.5 oz Old Forester Bourbon
Lemon

Instructions
Prepare cocktail in a mixing glass, fill with ice, stir for 25 seconds, let sit a few seconds more while preparing coupe glass. Pour cocktail, squeeze lemon zest over cocktail, discard the lemon, and garnish with maraschino cherry.

From Simbal, Los Angeles

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

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 cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into chilled rocks glass. Garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

From Bulleit Bourbon

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.

From Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab

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

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 cocktail 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

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.