Today marks the end of a fabulous month. Back in 2007, congress officially declared the month of September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. We have been celebrating all year, I mean month, long, with plenty of bourbon. In fact, bourbon is currently at its highest production since the 1970s, so there’s no reason not to raise a glass or two to honor America’s native spirit.
One of our favorite bourbons happens to be Four Roses Bourbon, which is a premium single barrel bourbon that is great to drink straight up, on the rocks, or in a cocktail. Naturally, we had to experiment with the bourbon to create some amazing cocktails throughout the month. Using recipes from their website, we experimented and discovered our favorites, from the classics to the more inventive. We invite you to try them out yourselves!
Mint Julep (Courtesy of Four Roses Bourbon)
2-3 oz Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
2 tsp sugar
12 Mint leaves
Club Soda
Garnish: Mint sprigs and Orange Slice
Gently crush mint leaves in a cool tall glass. (Lightly muddle the mint and sugar with a splash of soda water in a mixing glass.) Fill the glass with cracked ice. Add Four Roses, club soda and stir well. Garnish with a slice of orange and a few sprigs of mint, and serve.
Old Fashioned (Courtesy of Four Roses Bourbon)
1 ½ oz Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
1 cube of sugar (or a splash of simple syrup)
2 dashes bitters
2-3 ice cubes
Twist of lemon
In an Old Fashioned Glass, place a sugar cube or use simple syrup as a substitute. Add bitters and just enough water to help dissolve the sugar. Crush or muddle the sugar in the glass and coat the bottom of the glass. Add 2-3 ice cubes and Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. Garnish with a twist, or if you’d like, a slice of orange and a cherry.
Rosie Apple (Courtesy of Four Roses Bourbon)
1 ½ oz Four Roses Small Batch
1 ½ oz Midnight Moon Apple Pie
Shake over rocks, garnish with a Cinnamon Sliver – It’s great for chilly weather!
Smoked Maple Rose (Courtesy of Four Roses Bourbon)
2 oz Four Roses Small Batch
.5 oz maple syrup
4 dashes caraway seed bitters
The serving glass is placed upside down over a torched maple plank this will, as a result, smoke flavor and scent the inside of the glass. Ingredients are built in a mixing glass and stirred over ice, then strained over a single ice cube into a maple smoked glass. (We did this minus the maple plank/smoke).
As much as we love Four Roses, there are other amazing bourbons for you to try. Check out some additional cocktail recipes using three of our other favorite bourbons and whip them up at home!
Basil Hayden’s Autumn Harvest (Courtesy of Charles Joly)
2 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
3/4 part Heering Cherry Liquor
1 dash Aromatic Bitters
2 parts Milk Stout Beer
Fresh Nutmeg
Combine Basil Hayden’s Bourbon, cherry liquor and bitters in a mixing glass. Add ice and shake. Roll in the milk stout beer. Strain into an Old Fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a cherry on top.
Knob Creek Maple Old Fashioned (Courtesy of Chef Michael Symon)
1 1/2 parts Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon
1 part Calvados Boulard Apple Brandy
3 Dashes Bitters
Pinch of Raw Sugar
Orange Peel
Drop a pinch of raw sugar, orange peel, and 3 dashes bitters into a rocks glass and muddle. Add Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon and Calvados Boulard Apple Brandy and stir with ice.
Maker’s Mark Sour (Courtesy of Maker’s Mark)
2 parts Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1 part simple syrup
1/2 part lemon juice
Cherry
Lemon slice, optional
Shake Maker’s Mark Bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry and slice of lemon (optional) and serve.
Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite bourbon? How do you drink your bourbon? Discuss below!
