Winter is a favourite season for many, and the reasons are many as well. The colour of fall, the misty mornings and chilled evenings, those chic winter clothes and warming up near a bonfire or firewood. It's a time to celebrate the warmth of togetherness too. And such nuances of emotions call for some comfort food and classy heady drinks to make winter a period of lovely memories. If you are on the same page, then we have some bourbon-based cocktails to add to the festive spirit.
Black Cherry Old Fashioned
Black Cherry Old Fashioned cocktail lets you enjoy a drink with basic components that perfectly balance sweet and sour flavours. It requires two parts of a fistful of bourbon, 0.25 oz black cherry syrup, and three sprinkles of tiki bitters. All components are combined, strained, and placed into a rocks glass. Use orange twists and Luxardo cherries as garnish.
Kentucky Buck
Kentucky Buck with raspberries, Image Source: cocktail_contessa @Instagram
It is perfect for those who want a fresh spin on their favourite bourbon. Here's a tall drink of refreshment created with whiskey, fresh lemon, strawberries that have been mushed, Angostura bitters, and hot ginger beer. You can replace the strawberries with raspberries to modify the taste. Muddle lemon, raspberry juice, bourbon, and bitter into a shaker and carefully pour into a tall cocktail glass using a strainer. Add as many ice cubes as you wish and top the cocktail with ginger ale.
Paradise Apple
This one is a favourite choice of many as a Thanksgiving cocktail. For this sophisticated drink, you need four dried figs, 2 tbsp honey, 1/4 oz fig-infused honey syrup, 1/2 oz apple cider, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1 oz bourbon, 3/4 oz dry riesling, 1/2 oz St-Germain Elderflower liqueur. Blend all the ingredients to prepare the drink in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for 20 to 30 seconds until well-chilled. Pour the drink carefully through a strainer into a coupe glass. Enjoy with a dehydrated apple slice as a garnish!
Boulevardier
The ingredients for the Boulevardier drink are bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari. American author Erskine Gwynne is credited with creating it. Rich and comforting, Boulevardier is that apt beverage you want to choose on a freezing winter evening. The ingredients include 1 1/4 ounces of whiskey, 1 ounce of Campari, and 1 ounce of sweet vermouth. Pour bourbon, Campari, and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass. Stir in the ice cubes to thoroughly chill the drink. Put fresh ice in a rocks glass and strain into it. Add an orange twist as a garnish.
Paper Plane
Paper Plane has the taste of an upscale whiskey sour. It is the perfect beverage for those who detest the alcoholic flavour of the whiskey. Amaro's fruitiness and sweetness make it a delight to drink. One ounce each of bourbon, amaro nonino, Aperol, and freshly squeezed lemon juice are required. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients. For at least 15 seconds, firmly shake the bottle. Pour the cocktail using a strainer into a chilled coupe glass and top with a lemon twist.
Brown Derby
Although its exact origin is controvertible, this straightforward bourbon cocktail has its roots in the Prohibition era. In any case, it's a delicious, simple beverage. Take a cocktail shaker, fill some ice and pour bourbon, grapefruit juice, and honey syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds to thoroughly cool. Strain and pour it into a chilled cocktail glass with a stem. To add a twist to the drink, pinch a grapefruit slice over the glass's top to release oils.