Cocktails with Bourbon
Bourbon is America’s own whiskey: at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak, and made only in the US. After distilling, nothing goes in but water — no coloring, no flavoring.
ABV40–50%That covers most bottles, with 40% the legal minimum; barrel-proof bourbon runs past 60%.
How it's used
The base for the whiskey classics: Old Fashioned, Manhattan (though that leans rye), Mint Julep, Whiskey Sour, Boulevardier. Strength matters most: at 40% it thins out over ice, so choose 45–50% for anything stirred or on the rocks. A high-rye bourbon holds up to the sugar and bitters of an Old Fashioned, while a wheated one suits a Whiskey Sour.
Substitutes for Bourbon
The closest swap, in the same amount. It is made to the bourbon rules, only filtered through maple charcoal before the barrel, so the drink comes out a shade softer.
At the same amount the drink turns a little drier and spicier.
Canadian, Irish or Scotch whisky
Canadian and Irish whiskies make the drink more delicate and drier than sweet bourbon does. A peated Scotch adds an aggressive smoke that overpowers the other ingredients.
