Start with the bourbon style you enjoy
Old Fashioned combines bourbon with sugar, water, and bitters. Whiskey Sour adds lemon, syrup, bitters, and egg white for a different balance and texture. Boulevardier uses Campari and sweet vermouth, while Paper Plane pairs bourbon with Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon. Each uses bourbon in a distinct structure rather than treating all whiskey cocktails as interchangeable.
Mint, bubbles, or a shot
Mint Julep uses mint and crushed ice; French 95 combines bourbon, lemon, syrup, and Champagne. Brain Damage is a small layered serve with bourbon, Kahlúa, and grenadine, so it belongs to the shot end of this selection. Follow the linked measurements and serving sizes. Stir spirit-and-vermouth drinks with ice, shake citrus recipes as directed, and add sparkling wine gently. This focused collection contains seven recipes that actually list bourbon, rather than padding the list with rye or Scotch drinks.
