Three Bourbon Cocktails for the Home Bartender
Mint Julep
Practice Your Mixology Skills with these Three Classic Bourbon Drinks
Bourbon is a staple of the Grand One Lounge. If you like bourbon and want to try your hand at mixing a few bourbon-based drinks, here are three very classic bourbon cocktails to master for serving at your own home bar.
Mint Julep
Pictured above, the Mint Julep is best known as the drink of the Kentucky Derby, but it’s a truly classic bourbon cocktail that you can make at home any time.
What You’ll Need to Make a Mint Julep
10 leaves fresh mint (plus an extra sprig for presentation)
1/2 oz to 1 oz simple syrup
1-1/2 oz to 2 oz bourbon
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Crushed ice
Remember, fresh ingredients make a difference. For this recipe I provided a range for the simple syrup and the bourbon because you may want to adjust the Mint Julep to your personal tastes or those of your guests. Experiment to see what works best for you. Also, you can get away without adding the bitters if you don’t have them on hand, but it is worth getting some as you’ll use them in many cocktails.
To release the fresh mint into the Mint Julep, you’ll need a cocktail muddler, or something similar to gently crush the mint at the bottom of your glass. Start by tearing 10 mint leaves (in half is fine) and placing them in the bottom of your glass. Add the simple syrup and gently crush the leaves with the cocktail muddler (or whatever you are using to muddle). You are looking to release as much mint as possible into the syrup without completely pulverizing the mint.
Add your bourbon, then add crushed ice to the glass until you reach the rim. Crushed ice is the classic here (not shaved ice or cubes). Crushed ice will last a long time before melting and it will add the classic frosted chill to the outside of your glass (or even better, a Julep cup if you have one).
Stir the cocktail, while trying to keep the mint leaves at the bottom. Top up with crushed ice so that it mounds slightly at the top.
Add two dashes of Angostura bitters and garnish with a sprig of mint (Bar Tip: slapping the mint in your hand will release the minty aroma so that you will get this sensory smell before sipping).
The Brown Derby.
Brown Derby
The Brown Derby is another classic bourbon cocktail and it’s a great drink to serve at your home bar. It looks great and tastes great. Best of all, it’s really simple to make and requires minimal ingredients.
What You’ll Need to Make a Brown Derby
2 oz bourbon
1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 oz honey syrup (warm three parts honey to one part water, mix well)
For this cocktail you’ll use a cocktail shaker to get the drink ice cold. Add your ingredients to your shaker and shake with ice for 10 to 15 seconds. There’s some style and finesse to shaking, but really what you’re aiming to do is chill the cocktail and add a little aeration without having it watered down by ice sitting in the glass. You can use a large glass or stainless tin to shake the cocktail in a pinch. After you’ve shaken, strain the Brown Derby into your glass. Garnish with a fresh grapefruit rind (be sure to trim it neatly with a sharp knife to whatever shape you like — presentation matters).
You can serve your Brown Derby in a coupe, martini glass, or other glass of your choice.
The Boulevardier
Boulevardier
The Boulevardier is another classic bourbon cocktail and is the most spirit-forward of the three (meaning it will taste the strongest).
What You’ll Need to Make a Boulevardier
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Mix the ingredients and add ice. Garnish with an orange peel twist. Again, trim the peel neatly and practice twisting a few times until you can master the garnish presentation the way you want.
The Boulevardier is definitely a drink for the bourbon or whiskey lover. It may prove to be too strong or bold for anyone just dabbling into spirit forward cocktails, so bear that in mind.
By Mike Belobradic
Wine, Spirits and Beer Virtuoso
Grand One Lounge