For some palates a barrel proof Manhattan sounds like a nightmare, but for some of us, it’s heaven in a glass. Barrel proof bourbons get a bad rap. They’re too hot for some people, or their finish is too strong, or they just have so much proof you can’t taste the whiskey. (Post may contain […]
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How to Infuse Campari for Cocktails
It’s Negroni Week so I’m deep in the woods with Campari and other red apertifs this week. The basic ratio and recipe of the Negroni make it an easy cocktail to play with. But what if you played with one of the basic ingredients that make it so distinctive? What if you played with the […]
5 Best Bourbons for Cocktails at Home
Let’s talk about the best bourbons for cocktails at home. As a self-professed whiskey enthusiast and cocktail nerd, I spend much of my time researching, playing with, and creating bourbon cocktails. The number of whiskies and bourbons available now on the market can be utterly intimidating to someone new to bourbon cocktails or whiskey tipples. […]
12 Fun Manhattan Cocktails
Manhattan cocktails hold a very prized place at the top of the cocktail heirarchy. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t have a bit of fun with flavors and open up the door to some wild and crazy Manhattan variations. Because I love the Manhattan dearly, I always want to make it more approachable to those […]
Best Manhattan Variations
For a cocktail as popular as the Manhattan there are probably hundreds of variations, if not more. A few have made it into the standard cocktail canon. If you’ve mastered the classic Manhattan, or you want to branch out into variations of the Manhattan cocktail, here are a few cocktails to start with. (Post may […]
How to Make a Classic Manhattan Cocktail
The Classic Bourbon Manhattan cocktail sits at the top of the bourbon cocktail hierarchy. A great Manhattan carries the sweetness and the high proof heat of the whiskey with all of its complexities and adds a bit of the infusion of flavors from a vermouth. A few dashes of bitters tame the collective sweetness from […]
How to Make Your Own Riff on a Mint Julep
Create your own riff with this primer on creating your own mint julep variations. Release your inner mixologist and play with the simplicity of the julep.
How to Make a Mint Julep
Celebrate the horses and all things summer with this easy classic mint julep. Get our your mint, your bourbon and a little simple to build this easy, fast cocktail in the julep cup.
7 Fun and Easy Mint Julep Recipes
Let’s talk Derby with these 7 fun, easy, and tasty variations of classic mint julep recipes. More fun than Derby at the track.
How to Make a New York Sour
Top off your favorite iteration of the whiskey sour with a red wine float and you have the easiest riff on a classic cocktail you’ll make all day. Remember that the kind of red wine you choose will need to play well with the other ingredients. You may want to focus on fruity wines to pair with the sweet in the whiskey sour, but you might decide to go dry and let the tannins/oaky qualities pair up with the aged whiskey.
Fig and Fennel Sour
Light, delicate flavors with a hint of the licorice in the fennel and lovely fig notes build a whiskey sour for early fall. Nothing heavy or aggressive about it, it’s a sweet, easy sip you can whip up with a squeeze of lemon juice and a muddling of fresh figs.
How to Make a Boston Whiskey Sour (and a Vegan one)
I love a great Boston whiskey sour, even though it has egg white in it. But for years I didn’t order Boston sours because I worried that I’d be able to taste the raw egg in it. Finally, at a bourbon event we had a bourbon sour that used egg whites and I was won […]
How to Make an Easy Whiskey Sour
We’re taking it back to basics with this classic bourbon whiskey sour. Cutting back a bit on the standard ratio of bourbon to lemon and simple allows lower-proofed bourbons to stay forefront in the flavor. You do want to remember that you’re drinking a whiskey sour, so you want to taste that lovely whiskey you’re using. I added the option of black walnut or angostura bitters to brighten the citrus and sweet a bit.
Bitters and Bourbon Part 3 – Best Bitters for Home Cocktails Intermediate and Advanced
Ready for more basics about bitters and cocktails? Today I’m going to give you a set of the best bitters for intermediate and advanced cocktail making at home. I selected these bitters for their versatility and how often I end up using them. (Post may contain affiliate links.) Let me start with the caveat that […]
Bitters and Bourbon Part 2 – Best Bitters for Bourbon (and Whiskey) Cocktails at Home
If you’re new to making cocktails at home, even if we are in the sixth month of a pandemic, you want to be able to recreate classics in your home bar. There are hundreds of bitters out there and I’ll help you navigate the waters to find the best bitters for cocktails at home – […]
Cherry Bourbon Milkshake – a Bourbon Women SIPShake
Still summer, still hot as hell, and still craving bourbon so I’ve designed a boozy Cherry Bourbon Milkshake – the SIPShake for Bourbon Women and their SIP Summer Series sessions in August. It’s fun, it’s fast, and its got bourbon and ice cream – a delectable combination of flavors. So mix up a batch of […]
Bitters and Bourbon (Whiskey) – All About Bitters and How to Use them in Cocktails
Bitters make bourbon (and whiskey) better. Bitters are more than just flair for mixologists to add to cocktails. They’re a critical element of flavor, aroma and balance in many bourbon cocktails. (Post may contain affiliate links) Bitters are essentially your spice rack for cocktails. They’re your salt and pepper. They’re often a binding agent that […]
Bitter Bourbon Spritz
What if you could take your favorite afternoon appertif and give it a little more oomph with America’s native spirit? That’s what I’m suggesting with this Bitter Bourbon Spritz. Post may contain affiliate links. Every spritz has its origins in a bitter amaro. In this case, I selected Campari because of the color, and because […]
Spicy Whiskey Sour – Better than a Lemon Drop
Step away from the Lemon Drop – you need more complexity and flavor in your life so say hello to this Spicy Whiskey Sour. You’ve got sweet bourbon, intense lemon simple syrup and touch of Cynar and serrano bitters to class up your sour game. Post may contain affiliate links. This is one of those […]
Chocolate Mocha Daiquiri – No Take Backs
Thanks to @housepoured on Instagram, I was challenged to come up with a fun daiquiri variation and knocked it out of the part with this Chocolate Mocha Daiquiri. I’d never tried chocolate and lime together, and definitely not with coffee, but I’d had great success with pineapple and coffee, and lemon and chocolate, so I […]
How to Make a Perfect Old Fashioned
Want to get a group of whiskey cocktail enthusiasts in a fun brawl? Claim to have the perfect old fashioned recipe. You’ll never see a more lively discussion than a debate about muddling, base spirits (yes, in some states it’s made with brandy) and proper use of bitters. There might be punches thrown, but there […]