We love drinking bourbon whiskey. We enjoy it neat, on the rocks, or (in the case of cask strength) with a splash or two of water. To add to that, we like mixing with bourbon. We love a classic bourbon and sparkling water on a hot day. To add to that, the sweet corn, vanilla, charred oak, and dried fruit flavors mix well in a wide variety of cocktails.
But while there are countless cocktails featuring over-the-top ingredients and techniques that make you feel like you need a doctorate in mixology to create at home, there are also more than a few classic drinks that are simple to execute. We’re talking about drinks that require only a few simple steps and less than a handful of ingredients.
Not only are these drinks easy to make, but you also don’t have to stock your home bar with dozens of random bottles, tinctures, bitters, herbs, and other ingredients.
Our favorite easy bourbon cocktails
If you enjoy entertaining and you like the sweet, mellow flavor of bourbon whiskey, it would behoove you to learn at least a few bourbon cocktails. Lucky for you, there are a few bourbon-based cocktails that require very few ingredients and steps. Don’t believe us? Keep scrolling to see some of our favorite easy bourbon cocktails.
Gold Rush
When it comes to contemporary bourbon-based cocktails, it’s tough to beat the flavor and simplicity of the Gold Rush. Created in 2001 at New York’s iconic Milk & Honey, it was created by a friend and business partner of owner Sasha Petraske named T.J. Siegal. Instead of asking for a classic whiskey sour, he asked for the drink to be made without egg white and with honey syrup instead of simple syrup. The drink itself consists of bourbon, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and honey syrup.
What you’ll need to make a Gold Rush
- 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
- .75 ounces of honey syrup
- .75 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice
The Gold Rush recipe steps
1. Add ice to a shaker.
2. Pour the bourbon, honey syrup, and freshly squeezed lemon juice into the shaker.
3. Shake vigorously to combine.
4. Strain the ingredients into an ice-filled Old Fashioned or Rocks glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Old Fashioned
There are very few cocktails as flavorful and simple as the classic Old Fashioned. Made with muddled sugar,
What you’ll need to make an Old Fashioned
- 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
- 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube
- 1-2 dashes of water
The Old Fashioned recipe steps
1. In an Old Fashioned glass, place a sugar cube.
2. Add 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitter and 1-2 dashes of water.
3. Muddle everything together until everything is dissolved.
4. Add ice to the glass before pouring the bourbon in.
5. Gently stir to combine.
6. Add an orange peel and cocktail cherry to garnish.
Bourbon Highball
When it comes to simple, refreshing bourbon-based cocktails, they don’t get much easier than the Bourbon Highball. At its most basic, the drink is made with bourbon whiskey, soda water, and ice. That’s it. You can swap out the soda water for any sparkling water or ginger ale if you so desire. The first reference to a Whiskey Highball was in 1895. This was when C.F. Lawlor’s bartending book called ‘The Mixicologist’ featured a similar drink called the “Splificator” which consisted of whiskey and water.
What you’ll need to make a Bourbon Highball
- 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
- A soda water topper
The Bourbon Highball recipe steps
1. Add ice to a Highball or pint glass.
2. Pour in the bourbon whiskey.
3. Top with soda water.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Bourbon Manhattan
There are many theories about the Manhattan cocktail’s origin, but the most common tale takes us to the 1870s. This is when Dr. Iain Marshall supposedly created the drink at the Manhattan Club in New York City at a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill’s mother. Similar to the Old Fashioned, the drink is often made with rye or Canadian whiskey, but you can also make it with bourbon. On top of the whiskey, the drink contains red vermouth and
What you’ll need to make Bourbon Manhattan
- 2 ounces of bourbon whiskey
- .75 ounces of sweet red vermouth
- 1-2 dashes of Angostura bitters
The Bourbon Manhattan recipe steps
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour the bourbon whiskey, vermouth, and a few dashes of bitters into the glass.
3. Stir gently to combine.
4. Strain the ingredients into a chilled cocktail glass.
5. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
