The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails: 100 Timeless, Creative & Tempting Recipes

THE FIRST ROUND'S ON US:

"THE OLD-FASHIONED"

A proper Old-Fashioned shouldn't include anything other than sugar, bitters, whiskey, and maybe a garnish.

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Drop a sugar cube into a rocks glass and cover with 3-4 dashes of Angostura bitters and 1-2 dashes of water. Crush with a muddler or wooden spoon.

2. Add ice, and 2.5 ounces bourbon. Stir well.

3. Strain into an empty rocks glass and garnish with lemon peel.

"THE SEELBACH"

In the 1990s, a Louisville bartender claimed to have found a lost recipe named for the famous Seelbach Hotel in which he worked. Turns out, he’d invented the drink and the story himself, but it's a great drink and a great story, so.

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Mix 1 ounce of bourbon, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 7 dashes Angostura bitters, and 7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters over ice. Stir well.

2. Strain into a champagne flute.

3. Top with 4 to 5 ounces brut sparkling wine and garnish with an orange twist.

"STRAWBERRIES IN DECEMBER"

Making fruit preserves lets you capture summer in a jar, but what if you could add that same feeling to a cocktail?

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. In a cocktail shaker (no ice), shake up 1 generous barspoon strawberry preserves, 2 ounces bourbon, 3/4 ounce balsamic syrup, and 1/2 ounce orange juice.

2. Add ice and shake 10 seconds more, then strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice.

3. Top with 2 ounces club soda and garnish with orange peel.