Skip to main content

The classic bourbon cocktails everyone should know how to make

Bourbon-based drinks to add to your home bar cocktail list

Old Fashioned
Paige Ledford / Unsplash

No home bar is complete without at least one bottle of whiskey, and if you’re a fan of mixing classic cocktails at home, then we’d argue that the best type of whiskey for mixing up a range of drinks is bourbon. Bourbon is just one type of whiskey, but it’s used in a range of classic bourbon cocktails that are delicious and easy to enjoy, and it’s particularly well suited to cocktails for the summertime.

It’s not only a warm-weather spirit, though, as along with summer hits like the mint julep, you can enjoy bourbon in cozy cold-weather cocktails like the Old Fashioned. Bourbon can do it all, thanks to its complex flavors encompassing fruit, sweetness, woody notes, vanilla, and much more. Learn how to show off these varying flavors in some of the all-time greats of the cocktail world.

Recommended Videos

Classic bourbon cocktails

Bartender serving glass of a Boulevardier cocktail with big ice cube and orange zest on the bar counter on the blurred background
fesenko / Adobe Stock

All you need (besides a few simple ingredients) to start your bourbon cocktail journey is a decent bottle of bourbon. You don’t have to spend the equivalent of a car payment to get one. Countless bottles in the $30-60 range are perfectly suited for slow-sipping or mixing.

Once you find one you like (we prefer Wild Turkey 101, Elijah Craig, and Knob Creek), you can easily mix up a few classic drinks. We’re talking about the likes of the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Boulevardier, Paper Plane, and more. Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite classic bourbon cocktails and even learn how to make them.

Paper Plane

Paper Plane
Maksym Fesenko / Shutterstock

Is it too soon to call a cocktail made in 2008 a classic? We don’t think so. The Paper Plane was created by Sam Ross and Sasha Petraske for Chicago’s Violet Hour. Named for the M.I.A. song “Paper Planes,” it’s a take on the classic Last Word. This exceptional cocktail is made with bourbon, Italian amaro, Aperol, and fresh lime juice. It’s boozy, tart, and extremely complex.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce of bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce of Italian amaro
  • 1 ounce of Aperol
  • 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method:

1. Add ice to a shaker.
2. Pour bourbon, amaro, Aperol, and freshly squeezed lemon juice into the mixer.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain the ingredients into a chilled cocktail glass.

Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned
Pylyp Sukhenko / Unsplash

Good luck finding a more well-known bourbon-based cocktail than the classic Old Fashioned. Luckily, it’s as simple to make as it is popular. This beloved drink is made with muddling sugar, Angostura bitters, and water before adding whiskey. It’s boozy, sweet, and sublimely complex. While there’s some dispute about its origins, many believe it was created by bartender and bourbon pioneer James E. Pepper at The Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in the late 1800s.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
  • 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters
  • 1 sugar cube
  • 1-2 dashes of water

Method:

1. Add a sugar cube to an Old Fashioned glass.
2. Saturate the sugar cube with a few dashes of Angostura bitters.
3. Add a dash or two of water.
4. Muddle the ingredients together to combine them.
5. Add ice to the glass.
6. Pour in the bourbon whiskey.
7. Stir slowly to combine.
8. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and an orange peel.

Boulevardier

Boulevardier cocktail and orange zest on wooden table
chandlervid85 / Adobe Stock

A bourbon-based riff on the Negroni, the Boulevardier was first created in the 1920s in Paris. The first reference to it was in 1927 in the French cocktail book ‘Barflies and Cocktails’. Like many cocktails, it was seemingly lost to time until the cocktail renaissance resurrected it. While the classic Negroni is a gin-based drink, the Boulevardier removes to juniper, botanical spirit in favor of sweet, mellow bourbon while still keeping the sweet vermouth and Campari.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon
  • 1 ounce of Campari
  • 1 ounce of sweet vermouth
  • Grapefruit twist (for garnish)

Method:

1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Gently stir to combine all the ingredients.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass.
4. Garnish with an orange peel.

Brown Derby

Brown Derby
Thomas Wavid Johns / Unsplash

Like all cocktails, the Brown Derby has a bit of a muddled history. Many believe that its origins are sometime in the 1930s, and a bartender at the Vendôme Club in Los Angeles created it. It was named for a famous diner that was situated near the bar. A sour, tart, and sweet combination, this iconic cocktail features bourbon whiskey, honey syrup, and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
  • 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1/2 ounce of honey syrup (or maple syrup)

Method:

1. Add ice to a shaker.
2. Pour the bourbon whisky, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, and honey syrup (or maple syrup) into the shaker.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
5. Garnish it with a grapefruit peel.

Mint julep

Mint julep
Bhofack2 / Getty Images

Historically associated with the Kentucky Derby, the mint julep is a favorite drink for summertime, thanks to its refreshing mint flavors and generous heapings of crushed ice. It’s also a relatively simple drink, with only small additions so that the flavors of the bourbon can really shine. The drink famously has its own style of vessel, called a Julep cup and often made out of copper or other metal rather than glass. While the Julep cup isn’t strictly necessary to make the drink — you could also use a rocks glass — it does add a touch of distinctive fun.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 8 -12 fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 ounce simple syrup

Method:

  1. Take a Julep cup and gently muddle the mint leaves and the simple syrup at the bottom. You can either use a muddler or the back of a spoon for this.
  2. Pour in the bourbon.
  3. Add crushed ice to fill the cup.
  4. Garnish with a mint sprig. Optionally, you can also add a dash of bitters on top.
Christopher Osburn
Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He's been writing professional
Old Fitzgerald launches 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Heaven Hill is set to launch a new signature Old Fitzgerald expression
Old Fitzgerald

Today, renowned Kentucky distillery Heaven Hill announced the launch of Old Fitzgerald launch 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. Not only is this the newest expression from the famed brand, but the distillery revealed that it will be the renowned brand's new signature expression. It's also being released to coincide with the 155th anniversary of John E. Fitzgerald trademarking the brand Old Fitzgerald.
Old Fitzgerald 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond

This new addition to the Old Fitzgerald lineup was created with a mash bill consisting of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. It was matured for seven years in Level 3 charred new American oak barrels. Like all bottled-in-bond bourbons, it's bottled at 100-proof.

Read more
How to grill on cedar planks like a pro (and why you should)
Cedar plank grilling basics for flavorful outdoor cooking
cedar-planked salmon

Using cedar planks for grilling adds a layer of flavor that’s hard to replicate with other methods. It’s subtle but distinct, infusing whatever you’re cooking — especially fish, chicken, or vegetables — with a smoky, woodsy aroma. I started using cedar planks a few years ago when I wanted to change up how I grilled salmon, and I’ve been hooked ever since. 

It’s a straightforward technique that doesn’t require much beyond the planks themselves, a bit of prep, and a standard grill. If you’ve never tried it before or just want a refresher on doing it right, this guide will walk through everything you need to know regarding how to use cedar planks for grilling.

Read more
The world’s first “bourbon-infused luxury hotel” just opened in Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky is home to a new bourbon hotel destination
The Trail Hotel

Bourbon drinkers looking for a place to lay their head after a day spent visiting the iconic distilleries of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail have a new destination to visit. That’s because the recently opened Trail Hotel is touted as the world’s first “bourbon-infused luxury hotel.”
The Trail Hotel

Located in Bardstown, in the heart of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail and close to some of the most well-respected distilleries in the country, The Trail Hotel is a 95-room hotel located in a historic property and chocked full of “southern hospitality” and interactive bourbon experiences. In addition to the nearly 100 rooms, the space boasts eight signature suites, a four-star restaurant, and five distinct bars.

Read more