10 Easy Bourbon Cocktails to Make for You and Friends

Want to sip on some amazing American-based cocktails? A.K.A., bourbon? 

We’ve curated a list of easy and fun cocktails that use ingredients you can grab in a pinch, or you might already have at home. On top of that, we’ve selected the best bourbon bottle pairings to make sure you’re serving it up right, no matter what cocktail batch you choose. Let’s dive in.

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Top 10 Easy Bourbon Cocktails and Recommended Bottles

These bourbon cocktails are quick to make, so you can mix up some fun bourbon cocktails with friends that are classy but easy. Most take less than five minutes to make, so you can spend more time with friends and less time behind the bar.

We’ve also included recommended bottle picks to ensure your cocktails of choice are perfect to the last sip. Let’s dive in!

1. Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is the king of whiskey cocktails, with a bourbon selection for a unique sipping experience. This cocktail has been around since the early 1800s and is still a bar favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/4 oz simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange peel

Recipe

• Add the syrup, bitters, and bourbon to a mixing glass with ice.
• Stir for about 20 seconds until cold.
• Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.
• Twist the orange peel over the drink, then drop it in.

Recommended Bottle: Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Woodford Reserve stands out as a top choice for bourbon enthusiasts. It’s produced at one of Kentucky's oldest distilleries, the Woodford Reserve. Unlike many brands, this bourbon utilizes a unique triple-distillation method in copper pot stills. This technique is known to enhance smoothness and add complexity. The bourbon is then aged in handcrafted charred oak barrels, which are toasted before charring.

Why it's perfect for an Old Fashioned

An Old Fashioned is all about sipping on a sophisticated cocktail that fully exposes the amazing bourbon or whiskey you put behind it. That’s where Woodford Reserve shines. The deep flavors hold up well with the bitters and orange, with dried fruit and cocoa notes. It’s also a top bourbon under $50 we love, too, so it’s approachable and an overall great staple to have for home bourbon cocktails.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 45.20% | 750ml

Purchase Woodford Reserve Bourbon

2. Bourbon Hot Toddy

When the weather turns cold, a Hot Toddy is like a warm blanket in a mug, and the bourbon variation makes it a fun, unique take on regular whiskey.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz honey (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 4 oz hot water
• Cinnamon stick or lemon wheel

Recipe

• Stir the honey into a splash of hot water in a mug until it melts.
• Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and the rest of the hot water.
• Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick or lemon wheel.

Recommended Bottle: Maker's Mark Bourbon

Maker's Mark is a top choice for this bourbon cocktail because it’s extremely consistent, approachable, and perfect for the beginner who wants something beautiful. What makes this bottle truly stand out is that it’s basically the bottle that started the wheated bourbon (and sits on our best wheated bourbon list). On top of all that, the red wax seal makes it stand out from all the other bottles on your home shelf.

Why it's perfect for a Bourbon Hot Toddy

When you add hot water to your bourbon, it can make the harsh notes on the palate and finish really stand out, which is why this wheated bourbon works so well. The sweetness and soft approach help to mix with the subtle honey and strong lemon flavor, without overpowering or losing the bourbon spice. This bottle is perfect for your Hot Toddy.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 45.0% | 750ml

Purchase Maker's Mark Bourbon

3. Honey Bourbon Gold Rush

This is basically like the cold version of the Hot Toddy. It’s a classic that comes from New York, supposedly invented in the early 2000s. A modern and easy cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz honey syrup

Recipe

• Add everything to a shaker with ice.
• Shake hard for about 10 seconds.
• Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube.

Recommended Bottle: Four Roses Small Batch Select

Four Roses Small Batch Select is a bourbon crafted from six of the brand's ten unique recipes. This bourbon is then developed by combining two mash bills and three proprietary yeast strains for a complex blend of spice, fruit, and floral notes. Finally, the masterpiece is then non-chill filtered and aged for at least six years in carefully selected American white oak barrels.

Why it's perfect for a Honey Bourbon Gold Rush

This bourbon is light because of the combined two mash bills and proprietary yeast strains. Four Roses Small Batch has beautiful red fruit notes on the palate that work very well with the lemon and don’t overpower the honey. It’s a great fall or spring sipper.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 45.0% | 750ml

Purchase Four Roses Small Batch Select

4. Bourbon Buck

A buck is just a spirit, ginger ale, and a squeeze of citrus. One of the easiest to make on the list.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz ginger ale
• Lime wedge

Recipe

• Fill a tall glass with ice.
• Add the bourbon and lime juice.
• Top with ginger ale, stir gently, and add a lime wedge.

Recommended Bottle: Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Bourbon is produced at the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, operating since 1792 and renowned as one of America’s oldest distilleries. This bourbon is crafted using a time-honored mash bill and distilled with great precision. Then aged in century-old warehouses, it draws character from carefully selected charred oak barrels. It’s a great bourbon for moving into that intermediate explorer stage, as it can be sipped, but also makes a wonderful cocktail.

Why it's perfect for a Bourbon Buck

Buffalo Trace Bourbon is lively in spice, with a slight sweetness so it complements and adds to the ginger ale experience, without being an overly sweet cocktail. The ginger keeps it tasting fresh, while this bourbon’s undertones keep up. This bottle also works well with a more powerful ginger beer, making it versatile for your Bourbon Buck cocktail.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 45.0% | 750ml

Purchase Buffalo Trace Bourbon

5. Bourbon Highball

The highball proves simple can be special. It’s just bourbon and bubbly water over ice. The Bourbon highball is also super easy to make in a snap.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 4 to 5 oz cold club soda
• Lemon peel

Recipe

• Fill a tall glass to the top with ice.
• Add the bourbon and stir to chill it.
• Slowly pour in the club soda and stir once, gently, to keep the bubbles.
• Garnish with lemon peel.

Recommended Bottle: Russell's Reserve 10 Year Bourbon

Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is a tribute to the legendary father-son duo, Jimmy and Eddie Russell at the Wild Turkey distillery. This bourbon is aged a full decade in deeply charred American oak barrels. What sets it apart is its small-batch production and aging process. It’s also our #1 pick for an Old Fashioned, so it’s a versatile bottle that will play well in other cocktails.

Why it's perfect for a Bourbon Highball

This classic Bourbon Highball works well with Russel’s Reserve 10 Year because it presents deep oak and vanilla notes that are elevated by the club soda. For a refreshing sip that’s all about experiencing this beautiful bourbon in a lighter way.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 45.0% | 750ml

Purchase Russell's Reserve 10 Year Bourbon

6. Bourbon Paloma

The Paloma is usually made with tequila, but the bourbon variation is a great way to make it a bit more caramel and oaky, while still being a fun Paloma.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 4 oz grapefruit soda
• Pinch of salt

Recipe

• Fill a tall glass with ice.
• Add the bourbon, lime juice, and salt.
• Top with grapefruit soda, stir gently, and add a grapefruit wedge.

Recommended Bottle: Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

Wild Turkey 101 is an approachable but spicy bourbon, perfect for rye lovers who want some kick for cocktails and sipping. The brand uses a deep char on its barrels, called an alligator char, which helps give it a deep color and bold flavor. It’s a favorite among bartenders, too, so you know it’ll fit your home bar perfectly.

Why it's perfect for a Bourbon Paloma

It’s easier for any grapefruit-based cocktail to overtake the mixer you add, which is why we suggest using Wild Turkey 101. It’s a strong rye bourbon so the spice helps cut through the incredible grapefruit sweetness, with the salt bringing out the sought-after caramel notes on the palate and finish. It’s an easy sip for beginners.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 50.50% | 750ml

Purchase Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

7. Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour is a classic whiskey cocktail that can use bourbon. Skip the egg white if you want something simpler, but this is nonetheless an easy-to-intermediate bourbon cocktail.

Instructions

• 2 oz bourbon
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white (optional)

Recipe

• Add everything to a shaker. If you use egg white, shake without ice for 10 seconds first.
• Add ice and shake hard for another 10 seconds.
• Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice and top with a cherry.

Recommended Bottle: Redwood Empire Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon

Redwood Empire Colonel Armstrong is a beautiful and timeless bottle that’s a 122-barrel blend and aged up to 14 years. It’s hard to find such an incredible effort in the blending space. What makes this bottle unique is that it's a softer bourbon that’s approachable for both beginners and intermediate explorers, which comes from the 30% wheat mash bill, more than double most wheated bourbons.

Why it's perfect for a Whiskey Sour

If you love a smoother Whiskey Sour with real sweetness, this is the bottle for you. The high-wheat mash bill delivers gentle honeyed grain, ripe stone fruit, and vanilla that pair beautifully with fresh lemon and simple syrup. On top of that, the West Coast aging gives it a distinct softness that lets the citrus shine through. Very approachable but this bottle still presents elegance.

Region: California, USA | ABV: 47.0% | 750ml

Purchase Redwood Empire Colonel Armstrong Wheated Bourbon

8. Bourbon & Coke

Sometimes the best drink is the easiest one. Bourbon and Coke takes 10 seconds to make, and almost everyone likes it.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 4 oz cola
• Lime wedge (optional)

Recipe

• Fill a tall glass with ice.
• Add the bourbon, then top with cola.
• Stir once and squeeze in the lime.

Recommended Bottle: Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof

This rye whiskey is rooted in America’s distilling history. Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof is produced by Heaven Hill Distillery and adheres to the classic Bottled-in-Bond Act standards. Its journey begins with a meticulous mashbill of rye, corn, and malted barley. From there, it undergoes aging in charred oak barrels.

Why it's perfect for a Bourbon & Coke

For any cocktail with Coke or Pepsi, the this bottled-in-bond bottle is your go-to pick. The cola is super sweet, so the strong bottled-in-bond helps to cut through, and this bottle has great caramel and spice notes that make it like a vanilla coke cocktail. This bottle is also value-friendly, and works well in other sweet cocktails.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 50.0% | 750ml

Purchase Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof

9. Mint Julep

The Mint Julep is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, and it’s also easy to make if you have the right ingredients on hand.

Instructions

• 8 to 10 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz bourbon
• Crushed ice

Recipe

• Gently press the mint and syrup in a glass. Don't shred the leaves.
• Add the bourbon and pack the glass with crushed ice.
• Stir until the outside gets frosty, then top with more ice and a mint sprig.

Recommended Bottle: Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

Old Forester is a Louisville classic that’s bold with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a strong spice. It’s also one of the only bourbons that was sold before, during, and after Prohibition. The recipe has a fair amount of rye, so it tastes richer and spicier than many bourbons at the same price.

Why it's perfect for a Mint Julep

Not only does this bourbon hold up incredibly well to the syrup and mint in the Mint Julep, but Old Forester is also the official Mint Julep bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. From both of those aspects, you cannot go wrong.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 50.0% | 750ml

Purchase Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

10. Apple Cider Bourbon

You cannot go wrong with a hot or cold Apple Cider Bourbon cocktail in the fall or winter. It’s similar to a Hot Toddy, but a bit more bitter from the apple cider.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon
• 4 oz apple cider
• Squeeze of fresh lemon
• Cinnamon stick

Recipe

• Fill a rocks glass with ice, or heat the cider for a warm drink.
• Add the bourbon, cider, and lemon, then stir.
• Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Recommended Bottle: Larceny Small Batch Bourbon

Larceny Bourbon stands out as a unique choice thanks to its rich history and unique profile. Unlike traditional bourbons that use rye, Larceny replaces it with soft wheat. This gives it a smoother taste with a subtle sweetness. It’s aged in new charred oak barrels, allowing its flavors to develop fully over the years. These aspects make it a perfect option for both seasoned bourbon enthusiasts and those new to the spirit.

Why it's perfect for an Apple Cider Bourbon

While apple cider has a strong flavor, it mixes easily with bourbon, so you want to choose an approachable and softer bourbon, which is where Larceny Small Batch comes in. The sweetness from this bottle adds to the apple and cinnamon, while the richness helps cut the apple cider perfectly.

Region: Kentucky, USA | ABV: 46.0% | 750ml

Purchase Larceny Small Batch Bourbon

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