By: Alvin Wilson Staff Writer
Bourbon is my favorite liquor by far. Its complexity and spice is something you can’t get from many other liquors. Bourbon also happens to mix very well, and it is used in a variety of cocktails. Here are recipes for some of my favorite bourbon cocktails.
Note: these cocktails are all very strong and therefore intended for sipping.
Old Fashioned: bourbon (I prefer Wild Turkey for cocktails), Angostura bitters, sugar, and ice.
Place a teaspoon of sugar at the bottom of a dry rocks glass. Pour three dashes of bitters over the sugar and let the sugar begin to dissolve. Angostura bitters have a taste and smell that is reminiscent of cinnamon and cloves.
Add a dash of water to the glass and mix until all of the sugar is dissolved. Place a large ice cube in the glass, and pour one-and-a-half ounces of bourbon over it. Mix until the glass starts to fog up.
Shave a thin slice of orange peel and twist it over the drink to release the essential oils. Drop the peel in the drink, and enjoy.
Whiskey Sour: bourbon, fresh squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice.
This drink is shaken, so add the ingredients to a cup that you can cover and shake. Fill the cup halfway with ice. Add half an ounce of fresh lemon juice (fresh is key here), and half an ounce of simple syrup. To make simple syrup, boil equal parts sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved, then let it cool.
Next, pour 1.5 ounces of bourbon into the cup and shake aggressively for about 30 seconds. Strain into your serving glass, and garnish with a slice of lemon.
Mint Julep: bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup, and crushed ice.
Place six to eight fresh mint leaves in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add two teaspoons of simple syrup, and lightly muddle the leaves with a spoon.
Fill the glass nearly to the rim with crushed ice, and pour in three ounces of bourbon. Mix well, and top the glass with more crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
