National Bourbon Day, how are YOU celebrating?

At BourbonBlog.com, we celebrate bourbon every day! And thank you for joining with us to make the party live on all year long!

Today is other one of those “official days” that we see everyday of the year. Of course we are more happy to see it be bourbon vs. “National Meatloaf Day.”

How are YOU celebrating? Tell us under comments on this link and here a few cocktails and videos from our recent travels for your inspiration and pleasure!

Happy Bourbon Day today and every day..enjoy responsibly!

Breckenridge Breckfast

An “eye opener” any time of the day. On our recent visit to Breckenridge Distillery in the video below, we learn why the Water Matters in Breckenridge Bourbon and Vodka.

2 oz. Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey
5 mml maple syrup
2 oz. apple cider
1 oz. gingerale.

Garnish with thick cut bacon rubbed with ceyene pepper and brown sugar baked in the oven. Mini eggo waffle fresh from the toaster make a slit for the glass then drizzle a melted blueberry butter infusion on top of the waffle. Served over ice.

Created by Billie Keithley

Filmed and Edited by Bridger Root.

The Simple

Little Old Fashioned

1 part Hudson Baby Bourbon

3 dashes bitters

1 tsp bar sugar

1 lemon peel

Stir, served chilled. Ice optional.

The Sergeant Whiskey Sowers

Introducing a new drink, in honor of Sgt. Patrick Sowers of Operation Once in a Lifetime: The Sergeant Whiskey Sowers. Give it a try.

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Wild Turkey 81
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz. honey
1 fresh cherry
1 oz. Wild Turkey American Honey

Slice the cherry from top to bottom five times around the pit, and let it soak in a cup of Wild Turkey American Honey. Take some Wild Turkey 81, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and honey, and throw all of it in a cocktail shaker. Shake and serve over ice. Don’t forget to toss in that American Honey-soaked cherry at the end

The Blanhattan Recipe, by Paul Borntraeger

While you may be accustomed to drinking Blanton’s Bourbon neat or simply on the rocks, BourbonBlog.com  discovers how flavorsome it can be in a cocktail at Kentucky Bourbon Festival’s Mixed Drink Challenge. Watch the video episode below and taste how the rich bourbon flavor of Blanton’s, The Original Single-Barrel Bourbon, works wonders in a cocktail.

3 oz. Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
1/4 tsp Ground ginger
1/4 tsp Vanilla (not imitation)
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
1 tsp Honey
zest of 1 Lemon
zest of 1 Orange
4-8 Whole peppercorns
1/4 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup Cane sugar
1 btl KY Riesling
2 oz. KY Cab

Combine all ingredients (except for bourbon) in pot and bring to a slow boil. Once batch is boiling reduce heat add bourbon and let simmer on low heat for half an hour.

Ideally place in a glass jar and let sit for 24 hours. filter and strain (coffee filters take time but work best) and use.

Black Walnut Martini

A visit Dancing Pines in Loveland, Colorado and their new Dancing Pines Black Walnut Bourbon Liqueur, a first ever! Watch our video interview with Dancing Pines below.

3/4 oz Dancing Pines Black Walnut Liqueur
3/4 oz Dancing Pines Bourbon
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
Dash orange bitters

Shake over ice and strain into martini glass. Thanks to Evan Faber of SALT Bistro in Boulder for this recipe.

Filmed/Edited by Bridger Root.
Bulleit Southern Belle

In New Orleans at Tales of the Cocktail, we drink Bulleit Bourbon with Tom Bulleit and Hollis Bulleit atop Hotel Monteleone. Watch the video below and try a Southern Belle!

1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
0.25 oz. grenadine
1 slice(s) orange

Drink Recipe Preparation:
Add orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine and Bulleit Bourbon.
Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
Garnish with an orange slice.

Filmed/Edited by Avi Glick
Old Forester Bourbon Street Punch

2 cups iced tea
½ – 1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness preference)
one 12-oz. can frozen orange juice
one 12-oz. can frozen limeade
3 cups Old Forester
7 cups water

Mix all ingredients together and chill. Serve over ice and enjoy. Yields one gallon.

 
Harrison Peach Maple Old-Fashioned

This Indiana Bourbon pairs well with a Georgia Peach…

Note you must start this recipe three days in advance, to allow time for the infusion. But it’s worth the wait.
Step 1: Infusion
– Start with a full bottle of Harrison Straight Bourbon and a fresh, ripe peach.
– Pour out a glass of Harrison. Take a Nice Sip, and Enjoy.
(While this is simply fun, it also is necessary so as to create room in the bottle to add the fruit.)
– Slice your peach into thin, narrow slices.
– Sip More Harrison.
– Stuff all of the peach slices down into the bottle. If necessary, pour a little more Bourbon out into your glass.
= Recork the bottle and put it away for safekeeping for 3 days.

Step 2: Making the Cocktail
– Retrieve your bottle of peach-infused Harrison.

In a shaker without ice, combine:
• 3-4 parts peach Harrison Bourbon infusion
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 splashes Maple Bitters

Final instructions for Step 3 

– Stir thoroughly to be sure the sugar is well-dissolved. If some peach solids pour out with the Bourbon, don’t  worry , this is fine.
– After the mixture is well-dissolved in the shaker, add a few ice cubes, shake a few times to chill, the

Four Roses Honey Suckle Rose Julep (winning recipe at Four Roses Rose Julep Contest 2012)

BourbonBlog.com at the ninth annual Four Roses Julep Contest held at the Kentucky Derby Museum to celebrate Urban Bourbon Exhibit sponsored by Four Roses Bourbon

Bartender Kyle Tabler of Louisville’s Village Anchor restaurant claimed the 2012 “Rose Julep” title identifying the mixologist creating the city’s best and most unique mint julep. Here is the recipe

Honey Suckle Rose Julep 

1st place winning Four Roses Julep Recipe 2012 by  Champion Kyle Tabler of Village Anchor, Louisville

Ingredients:

2. oz Four Roses Singel Barrel Bourbon
.5 oz St. German liqueur St. Germain Liqueur
Rose Water
Mint Leaves
Crushed Ice
1.5 oz Honey Suckle Syrup*
1.0 oz Lavender Syrup**

Instructions:

– Take a mint julep cup or glas and rinse with rose water. Coat and discard rosewater, with will bring
– Add shaved
– Add .5 St. germain Liqueur atop ice

In shaking tin:

– Add 2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon Single Barrel Four Roses
– Add 1.5 oz – honey
– Add 1.0 oz lavender

Into Mint Julep Cup:

– Strain and serve
– Garnish with mint leaves

According to Kyle, “The purpose of creating is that the mint will overwhelm the lavender. Keeping them separate until the end and you’ll get the essence of both.”

Lavender Syrup**, yields 1 Quart

"Rose Julep Champion" Kyle Tabler of Louisville's Village Anchor explaining his Rose Julep Recipe to the judges

Instructions:

1. Make a simple syrup with 3 to 1 water, 1.5 cups sugar and 4 cups sugar
2. Find lavender booms at Whole Foods or other nature store and use 1/2 cup for a quart size syrup
3. He made with sugar, cup and half of sugar, then went to whole foods and bought lavender blooms

Honey Suckle Mint Bourbon Syrup*, yields 1 Quart

Instructions:

1. Use honey suckle nectar with. Squeezing 100 suckles becomes necessary for about a pint.
2. Add Kentucky grown honey, finish off with about a pint
3. Gather 100 honey suckles and squeeze nectar into jar.
4. Bring the two to a boil and add mints, 40-50 leaves or so. Allowt this it melts honey into a thinner mix to add to the Julep.
5. Let sit