For the Love of Bourbon

Admittedly, I'm a latecomer to loving bourbon. For the longest time the only whiskey I didn't turn my nose up at was single malt scotch. But once I tried it, I fell in love.

To be fair, though, I don't typically drink bourbon (or, indeed, most liquor) neat, although I make an exception for Bulleit Bourbon. I was given a bottle as a gift recently, and quickly discovered that it can compete with any scotch in its price range. For mixing drinks, I generally use Knob Creek or Maker's Mark, rather than going with something cheaper like Jim Beam. Indeed, bourbon is probably the liquor I spend the most on...though I suspect that has something to do with how much of it my wife drinks.

My two favorite ways to drink bourbon are in a Bourbon à la Crème or a Churchill Downs Cooler (see Mixology 101). The former when I'm in the mood for a poignant cocktail, the latter when I want something refreshing and carbonated. Along similar lines as the Churchill Downs Cooler is the slightly more labour intensive John Collins, which allows the flavor of the bourbon to come through more. And I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that easily the most popular drink at my last cocktail party--excepting, of course, two of my own cocktails based on my own homemade infusions (you'll have to stay tuned for those recipes...)--was the Bourban Crusta.

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Bourbon à la Crème

This is one cocktail that definately requires the use of a premium liquor--the taste of the bourbon comes through in its entirety, sweetened with overtones of chocolate and a vanilla perfume.

Shake the following over ice, and pour into a cocktail glass:
2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. crème de cacao
1-2 dashes vanilla extract (careful, too much will ruin the drink)


John Collins

A refreshing classic of the Collins line, I would warn against leaving out more than one of the garnishes.

Shake the following over ice:
2 oz. bourbon
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup

Prepare a Collins or highball glass by half filling it with ice, and adding the following garnishes:
1 maraschino cherry
1 lemon slice
1 orange slice

Pour the shaken ingredients into the glass, and top with:
5-6 oz. club soda

Stir


Bourbon Crusta

Don't be fooled by the sugared rim--this drink is not sweet. The lemon and Cointreau provide a perfect vehicle for the premium bourbon of your choice, while the sugar rim keeps it all from being too sour. Apparently there's a recipe that uses maraschino liqueur in place of the Cointreau, but I don't like it nearly as much.

Coat the bottom of a bowl or other dish with superfine sugar. Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a sour glass or goblet (NOT a cocktail glass), and rub the rim of the glass in the sugar. Shake off any excess sugar on the rim of the glass.

Shake the following over ice, and pour into the prepared glass:
2 oz. bourbon
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. lemon juice

Optional:
Garnish with a lemon twist