You may have heard the saying that “All bourbon is whiskey but not every whiskey is bourbon.” Bourbon is a native American whiskey made primarily from corn, deriving its name from a county in Kentucky. To earn the name Bourbon the whiskey has to meet certain criteria:
- The spirit should be 51% corn and must be stored in new charred oak barrels
- Distillers should make their bourbon between 80 and 100 proof. This means it contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol by volume.
- Manufacturers can label the whiskey “Bourbon” only if it is distilled in the U.S.
“Some say the rise in bourbon sales is due to the growth of small-batch and single barrel bourbon in the 1990s, while others say it has to do with the resurgence in popularity of hard-liquor swilling characters and settings on television shows such as Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire.”
Whatever the reason, you’ll want to raise a glass of the sweetened amber spirit on June 14 as we celebrate the splendor of this great whiskey on National Bourbon Day!
From a classic old-fashioned to the popular Manhattan, these are some bourbon recipes your cocktail shaker needs!
1. Manhattan
Ingredients:
60 ml bourbon
30 ml sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters (optional)
1 dash orange peel
Garnish: brandied cherry
Ice cubes
Method:
Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe.
Garnish with a brandied cherry
2. Bourbon Smash
Ingredients:
20 ml simple syrup (sugar: water 1:1)
8 fresh mint leaves, plus 1 sprig, for garnish
3 lemon wedges
60 ml Bourbon
Method:
Put the simple syrup, mint leaves, and lemon wedges into a cocktail shaker and muddle them until the lemons are broken down. Add the bourbon and fill the shaker with ice; stir vigorously until very cold.
Fill a glass with ice and strain the drink into the glass. Put the mint sprig in the palm of one hand and gently smack it with the fingers of your other hand (this releases the oils and fragrance). Garnish the drink with the sprig and serve.
3. Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
60ml bourbon
1 tsp granulated sugar
dash of Angostura bitters
Splash of water and/or soda water
orange slice
maraschino cherry (optional)
Method:
Put the sugar, bitters, and water in a small tumbler. Mix until the sugar dissolves if using granulated. Fill your glass with ice and stir in the whisky. Add a splash of soda water if you like and mix. Garnish with orange and cherry.
4. Classic Whiskey Sour
Ingredients :
45 ml bourbon
30ml lemon juice
10 ml sugar syrup
A dash of Angostura bitters
½ fresh egg white
Ice
Lemon zest
For the garnish
Slice of orange and a cherry
Method:
Shake all of the ingredients (except for the lemon zest) with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Squeeze the lemon zest. Discard the zest before serving. Add the garnish and enjoy your drink!
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