21 Bourbon Cocktails You Can Make Tonight

Try your hand at a Paper Plane or a Boulevardier.

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on December 1, 2023

Tamarind-Whiskey Sour — Photo:
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell

If you ask us, no home bar is complete without a bottle of bourbon. "Both Scotch and bourbon are whisk(e)y, meaning they’re wood-aged spirits that have been distilled from a fermented mash of grains," writes Food & Wine contributor Brian Freedman. "Bourbon is based on corn, not barley. According to regulations, it must be composed of a mash bill (basically the list of grains that have been used) consisting of at least 51% corn."

We're amazed by bourbon's versatility when it comes to making sweet, tart, and warming cocktails. For something unexpectedly tangy, try your hand at a Tamarind Whiskey Sour. Entertaining a crowd? We'd recommend whipping up a batch of Whiskey Chai. It's also worth getting comfortable with classic bourbon cocktails, like the Mint Julep, New York Sour, and Paper Plane. Read on for our favorite bourbon cocktails to make anytime.

01 of 21

Winter Berries Cocktail

Winter Berries Cocktail — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell

Fruity, rich, and mildly sweet dark-berry liqueur plays well with effervescent sparkling wine in this Winter Berries cocktail, while grain-forward bourbon adds a touch of heat. Garnish this bubbly sipper with a thin half-moon slice of lemon.

02 of 21

Maple-Bourbon Smash

Maple-Bourbon Smash — Julia Hartbeck

Richly flavored dark amber maple syrup combines with citrus juices and seltzer to make this lightened riff on an Old-Fashioned cocktail.

03 of 21

Boulevardier

Boulevardier cocktail — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter

The Boulevardier is the whiskey lover's Negroni. Made with three simple ingredients — bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth — this straightforward cocktail comes together in seconds with staples you likely always keep in your home bar.

04 of 21

Alpine Brew

Matt Taylor-Gross — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Merlyn Miller

This delicious, highly caffeinated cocktail combines bourbon, coffee liqueur, cold brew, maple syrup, and walnut bitters.

05 of 21

Tamarind Whiskey Sour

Tamarind-Whiskey Sour — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Liberty Fennell

Tamarind imbues any dish with a telltale sharp, sweet, yet tart kick. It adds just the right amount of excitement to surprise even the most dedicated drinker of this classic cocktail.

06 of 21

Paper Plane

Paper Plane — Guillermo Riveros / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter

Though the Paper Plane is easy to put together and it's plenty easy-drinking, it offers a complex flavor profile: still bright and fresh but with enough heft to make it autumn-appropriate.

07 of 21

Bourbon-Tea Julep

Bourbon Tea Julep — Kelly Marshall

Tannins from black tea add a beautiful hint of bitterness to this variation on a classic Mint Julep. The citrus oil, oleo saccharum, is made by steeping lemon peels in sugar. Its bright flavor is the perfect lift to finish each sip.

08 of 21

Shadow Woman

Shadow Woman — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis

This Old-Fashioned–style cocktail gets a fruity kick from pear brandy and gentle sweetness from honey; the bourbon adds a bite without overpowering the drink. Pear brandy is a highly aromatic and unsweetened liquor made from fermented pears.

09 of 21

Banana-Rum Old-Fashioned

Banana Rum Old Fashioned Recipe — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

A bold, strong cocktail with both high-proof bourbon and light rum gets a hint of floral sweetness from mellow crème de banane.

10 of 21

Withering Sunrise

Withering Sunrise Cocktail Recipe — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Bourbon and puréed mango are a match made in heaven.

11 of 21

New York Sour

New York Sour — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas

The perfect balance of fruity red wine and smoky-sweet bourbon, the New York Sour cocktail is a classic for a reason. Shaking with large ice cubes chills the cocktail without diluting it — and those large cubes made with ice sphere molds look great in a rocks glass, too. If you're feeling adventurous, add an egg white to the shaker for a thicker viscosity.

12 of 21

Mint Julep

Mint Julep — Photo by Huge Galdones / Food Styling by Christina Zerkis

The Mint Julep has been the iconic drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1939, but references to the cocktail go as far back as the year 900, when it was sipped for medicinal purposes. When New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian was at Bar UnCommon, he recited an ode while mixing Mint Juleps, written in the 1890s by a Kentucky newspaperman, that calls the bourbon and mint cocktail "the very dream of drinks."

13 of 21

Dog Days of Summer Ale

Dog Days of Summer (Ale) Cocktail Recipe — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Cherry heering gives this beer-bourbon cocktail its striking red hue.

14 of 21

Milk Punch

Milk Punch — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Oset Babür-Winter

This classic, creamy milk punch will warm you up on the coldest winter evenings.

15 of 21

Whiskey Samash

Whiskey Shamash — Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This Hanukkah cocktail uses fig syrup to create a playful take on a whiskey smash cocktail.

16 of 21

Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy Recipe — Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Is it really wintertime without a good hot toddy? We think not.

17 of 21

Ginger and Bourbon

Hot Ginger Cocktails | Ginger Bourbon — Carey Jones

This simple, soothing wintertime cocktail is a favorite for good reason.

18 of 21

Whiskey Chai

Whiskey Chai — © Fredrika Stjärne

Think of this comforting whiskey chai as a nightcap meant to satiate a crowd after a big night out. We're especially fond of the Zanzibar peppercorns from Burlap and Barrel, which add a bright, almost fruity touch to this sweet sipper.

19 of 21

Apricot Nectarine Julep

Apricot-Nectarine Julep — Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell

A puree of roasted apricots and nectarines brings out bourbon's notes of vanilla and nutmeg, making for the ultimate late-summer cocktail. Pour some of the reserved puree on top of the crushed ice for a cocktail that almost resembles a Hawaiian shave ice. The same roast-and-puree technique can be used for more stone fruits, such as plums and sour cherries.

20 of 21

Homemade Eggnog

glasses of homemade eggnog — Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones

To make rich, creamy homemade eggnog, you'll need a double boiler and a whisk. In just two steps, you'll have a festive drink made ahead. Be sure to chill it thoroughly before serving, and give it a final whisk, too, to make sure everything is blended.

21 of 21

In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood — David Malosh

Andrew Volk says this is currently the most popular order at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club in Maine. The drink, according to Volk, is "approachable but geeky with the salt," which he adds to balance the bitterness of the artichoke-flavored aperitif Cynar.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Tell us why!

Related Articles

Apricot-Nectarine Julep

Apricot-Nectarine Julep

Paper Plane

Bourbon Cocktails

Got Bourbon? Let's Make You a Drink

Card Placeholder Image

June’s Old-Fashioned

Boulevardier cocktail

Maple-Bourbon Smash

Maple-Bourbon Smash

Whiskey Sour

How to Make an Exceptional Whiskey Sour

Hot Ginger Cocktails | Ginger Bourbon

Ginger & Bourbon

Shadow Woman

Bourbon Blackberry Collins

Bourbon Blackberry Collins

Manhattan Cocktail

Want to Make a Better Manhattan? Start With These Whiskies

Card Placeholder Image

Southern Serenity (Bourbon with Peaches)

Withering Sunrise Cocktail Recipe

Withering Sunrise

Hot Toddy Recipe

Card Placeholder Image

Card Placeholder Image

The Maloney No. 2