Ingredient
Bourbon
American whiskey with sweet-corn body and oak-vanilla edges — the spirit of choice for spiced old fashioneds, milk punches and bourbon-cranberry serves.
Flavour profile
Bourbon is the most generous American spirit to put into a winter cocktail. The corn sweetness and oak-vanilla character it picks up from its barrels give it a built-in dessert quality that suits cold weather almost too easily. Standard 80-proof bourbon is the right starting point for warm serves; save the higher-proof bottles for stirred cocktails where the dilution rebalances them.
Recipes featuring bourbon
Spiced Old Fashioned
A festive old fashioned built on bourbon or rye, cinnamon-spiced sugar syrup and Angostura bitters, stirred over ice with a flamed orange peel.
Hot Bourbon Milk Punch
A warm, velvety bourbon milk punch with brown sugar, vanilla and a dusting of fresh nutmeg.
Bourbon Cranberry Punch
A warming bourbon punch with cranberry juice, fresh orange and lemon, brown sugar and cinnamon. Easy to serve warm or chilled for a winter crowd.
Hot Buttered Bourbon
A rich hot buttered bourbon with a spiced brown sugar butter batter that melts into every sip.