5 Best Summer Bourbon Cocktails: Full Recipes (2023 Updated)
Last Updated on November 5, 2023 by Lydia Martin
Many people grab clear distilled spirits like gin, tequila, and vodka when the hot summer days come. They typically leave behind a dark spirit like bourbon for the bitter-cold season. Most are unaccustomed to many refreshing bourbon drinks available anywhere.
Well, let’s break the norm! Here are some of the best summer bourbon cocktails that even beginners can easily make.
Top 5 Bourbon Cocktail Recipes For Summer Getaways
1. Summer Breeze
What Is It?
This refreshing cocktail has a wonderful sparkling citrus twist to a high-proof whiskey. It is a fun choice of drink with friends over a barbeque or beach party. It contains premium ingredients that are easy to combine, even for beginners.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces ginger ale
- One splash of orange liqueur
- One orange slice
Instructions:
Use an old-fashioned glass and fill it with all the ingredients. Stir gently. Put crushed ice and garnish it with an orange slice. Serve and enjoy.
Serving: 1
2. Forbidden Sour
What Is It?
This bourbon cocktail is a new twist to the classic Whiskey Sour by beverage and bartending consultant Eben Freeman. Forbidden Sour has a fruit-forward taste that is light and refreshing during the intense summertime heat.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1-ounce bourbon
- 1-ounce pomegranate liqueur
- ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Two dashes of Angostura Bitters (optional)
- Orange wheel
- Cherry
Instructions:
Pour over equal parts of bourbon and pomegranate liqueur into a shaker filled with ice. Fill in the other ingredients and shake until chilled. Then, strain the mixture into a cocktail glass over fresh ice. Garnish with cherry and orange wheel.
Serving: 1
3. Bourbon Rickey
What Is It?
Bourbon Rickey is a collaborative recipe between Colonel Joe Rickey and bartender George Williamson [1]. In 1883, Williamson, who worked at Shoomaker’s bar, decided to add half lime to Colonel Rickey’s usual bourbon and sparkling water order. This refreshing cocktail has different variations depending on the spirit used.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces bourbon
- Sparkling water (club soda)
- ½ freshly squeezed lime
Instructions:
Squeeze the lime and drop it in a highball glass full of large ice cube pieces. Add the bourbon and fill it with sparkling water (or club soda). Stir and serve.
Serving: 1
4. Kentucky Mule
What Is It?
Kentucky Mule is a cousin to the famous Moscow Mule classic that substitutes bourbon for the original vodka recipe. It has a bubbly and charming combination that finishes with a whiskey spice. Here are the best bourbons for Kentucky Mule.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces of bourbon
- ½ ounce fresh lime juice
- Ginger beer
- Mint sprig
Instructions:
Add large ice cube pieces into a highball glass. Pour the ingredients, then top it with ginger beer. Garnish the mix with a mint sprig. Enjoy.
Serving: 1
5. Bourbon Strawberry Iced Tea
What Is It?
This beverage is another summertime delight that showcases a delicious blend of sweet and tart flavors. With the unsweetened iced tea, this cocktail is the perfect refreshment for the hot days.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces bourbon
- Two large fresh strawberries(slice into quarters)
- 1-ounce fresh lemon juice
- ¾ ounce rich simple syrup
- Unsweetened iced tea
- Strawberries
- Mint sprig
Instructions:
Gently muddle lemon juice and strawberry in a shaker. Add bourbon, simple syrup, and ice. Then, shake until well-chilled. Strain the mix into a highball glass and top it with unsweetened iced tea. Garnish with skewered strawberries and mint sprig.
Serving: 1
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FAQs
How do you drink bourbon in the summer?
You can drink bourbon neat or in a cocktail in the summer. Bourbon is great for simple cocktails like Bourbon Lemon. You can also concoct the famous Classic Mint Julep, an aromatic cocktail that pays homage to the traditional Kentucky Derby.
What drinks mix well with bourbon?
Bourbon mixes well with drinks like ginger beer, lemon juice, club soda, or soda water. This liquor complements other cocktail recipes like sweet tea, Angostura bitters, and grapefruit juice.
Is bourbon good for summer?
Yes, bourbon is good to drink all summer long. However, we recommend choosing a bourbon with a sweet flavor and floral notes instead of a heavy spirit with intense spicy flavors.
Can you drink bourbon neat during summer?
Yes, you can drink bourbon neat in the summer. This liquor has a unique sweetness because of a high percentage of corn mash and new charred oak.
Final Thoughts
Since the 1700s, bourbon has made some famous classic cocktails like Mint Julep, Whiskey Sour, and Old Fashioned. It has a darker color than other alcoholic beverages like gin, vodka, and tequila, making it an unfamous base when the temperature rises.
But recently, this high-proof alcohol contributed an extra kick to many refreshing summertime cocktails. It uses a high percentage of corn mash (at least 51%) and new charred oak to draw in the sweetness of vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, and chocolate.
It has a sweeter flavor than rye and Scotch, taming key cocktail mixers like bitters and vermouth.
Reference:
- https://www.thrillist.com/recipe/bourbon-rickey-recipe
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