My 13 favorite recent bourbon cocktail recommendations

Betty Carter

As my amateur mixology hobby continues apace, I want to share my top 13 recent bourbon cocktails that I've worked to near perfection. If you're a bourbon drinker, I hope you can enjoy making these yourself or invite me over to make them for you! With each of them, you may start with whichever bourbon you like, but I've found that Bulliet is a brand that is tasty, affordable, and versatile. It works well with each of these recipes (in alphabetical order):

The 19th Century was actually not invented until 2016 but is a new take on the New York sour family of cocktails.

• 1 and 1/2 parts bourbon
• 3/4 parts white Creme de cacao liqueur
• 3/4 parts sweet vermouth (or Lillet Rouge)
• 3/4 parts lemon juice
• Garnish with lemon twist

I already wrote about a batch of yummy banana cocktails, but I didn't mention the Banana Bread Old Fashioned, which - assuming you like bananas - might be the MVP of this family.

• 4 dashes of black walnut bitters and a little simple syrup at the bottom of shaker
• 2 and 1/2 parts bourbon
• 3/4 parts banana liqueur

The Last Word

The Betty Carter is a whiskey sour created in 2015 by a New York City bartender inspired by the famous jazz singer who lived down the street. I was mostly inspired to try it because I excitedly bought a bottle of Pedro Ximenez sherry, wanting to experiment for the first time with sherry drinks.

• 1 and 1/2 parts bourbon
• 3/4 parts sherry
• 1/2 parts lucano amaro (gor subs are Campari 0 if you prefer bitter - or Aperol - if you prefer sweeter)
• 3/4 parts lemon juice
• 3 drops of saline solution (which is typically 4 parts water and 1 part sea salt)
• Garnish with a lemon twist

The Bourbon Gold Smash is a honeyed take on the more fruity Bourbon Smash.

• 2 parts bourbon
• 1 part honey syrup
• 1 part fresh lime juice

I really love the Chocolate Boulevardier. Some people don't like vermouth, but I've begun to find it essential in many, many great cocktails. That's saying quite a bit because I'm not much of a wine drinker and vermouth is basically a sweeter version of crushed grapes. 

• 1 1/4 parts bourbon
• 3/4 parts sweet vermouth
• 3/4 parts campari
• 3-4 dashes of chocolate bitters
• Garnish with an orange peel

UInbelievably not created until 2006, the Elderflower Manhattan basically subs sweet versouth in a Manhattan with elderflower liquer, which is a great replacement in a bunch of classic drinks.  

• 2 parts bourbon
• 1 part elderflower
• 1/2 parts dry vermouth
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• Garnish with a cherry

The Expat is one of my favorite drinks to make if needed quickly! 

• 2 parts bourbon
• 2 dashes of angostura bitters
• 3/4 parts fresh lime juice\
• 3/4 parts simple syrup

The Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is among the most flavorful on this list, with its gold-yellow hue alive with ginger, spice, and sweet flavors. Delicious.

• 1 part bourbon
• 2/3 parts ginger liqueur
• 1/4 parts fresh lemon juice
• 1/5 parts fresh lime juice
• 1/5 parts honey syrup (3 part honey, 1 part water)
• 3 drops of saline solution
• Garnish with a cherry

It's not so easy to get chartreuse these days, as the monks who make it have scaled back on production as the drink becomes more popular. The last bottle of yellow chartreuse I bought (luckily a bottle goes a long way) was $70 but that last I checked it had gone up to $100. But once you try chartreuse, it it tough to ever go back to not having it in your collection. The Last Word Variation is what I call my own twist because The Last Word uses green chartreuse and I have been using yellow. This is a cult cocktail that people long for a very good, tangy reason.

• 1 part bourbon
• 3/4 parts of fresh lime juice
• 3/4 parts yellow chartreuse
• Garnish with a cherry (sometimes I pour a tiny bit of cherry concentrate in)
• Garnish with a lime

La Valencia is another flavorful one that I've made for various groups with resounding thumbs-ups. Yellow chartreuse makes another appearance.

• 1 part whiskey
• 1 and 1/2 parts manzanilla sherry (can substitute with dry vermouth)
• 1/2 parts yellow chartreuse
• 3/4 parts fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 parts simple syrup
• 1 dash of angostura bitters

The Oleo Sacrament leans on a plum and floral feel. I've also made this for groups that loved it.

• 1 and 2/3 parts bourbon
• 1/2 parts lime oleo saccharum (which is essentially simple syrup with lime)
• 1/3 parts Benedictine DOM (or Braulio is a great substitute)
• 2 dashes of Peychauds bitters
• 2 dashes of plum bitters
• Garnish with a lemon zest twist

The Paper Plane is a famous pink drink that is also a variation of The Last Word. It's lemony and zesty and was created in 2007.

• 3/4 parts bourbon
• 3/4 parts Aperol
• 3/4 parts Amaro Nonino Quintessentia (or Angostura bitters and sweet vermouth)
• 3/4 parts fresh lemon juice

And finally, for peach lovers, it's tough to beat The Royalist.

• 1 and 1/2 parts dry vermouth
• 1 part bourbon
• 3/4 parts Benedictine DOM
• 1 dash of peach bitters
• Garnish with a peach slice

Banana liqueur is more essential than you probably think it is

As my amateur mixology journey continues apace, I started noticing a lot of fancy cocktails associated with bananas. Now, I know what many of you are thinking. "I have bananas in my alcohol when I'm lounging in the Caribbean with a frozen pina colada in hand." Fair enough, that's a great time for banana-themed drinks. However ...

I love eating bananas, but one of my biggest pet peeves has always been when the peels are sitting around. Left in a car, or even just on the counter? Ugh. Disgusting. Oddly enough, an overripe, mushy banana works ok as a drink garnish, since you want it to rest on the rim and an overripe banana may just fall off the side. That said, putting the overripe or mushy or a banana chip in any of these drinks that I'm about to share with you is a-ok! I like to think of mixology as a science, but a bit of an art as well.

Now, you can get the cheap bottles of banana liqueur, like De Kuyper. But if you splurge a little for the Tempus Fugit Creme de Banana Liqueuer (pictured), you may find it so delicious that you'll just want it straight on the rocks.

That said, there's nothing like a great cocktail, and a bottle of banana liqueur, I'm now convinced, is a must-have for any respectable home bar. I have yet to try many of these drinks, but I've done my research and curated them here, and I'm pretty sure all of them have great promise. The two I can absolutely vouch for, that I have made, are: 

Nathalia, which is a bit sweet but, be careful, it's strong:

• 2 parts cognac
• .75 parts yellow chartreuse (see my two yellow chartreuse blogs) 
• .75 parts banana liqueur
• 1 dash of angostura bitters
• Garnish with orange zest

Banana Old Fashioned is just like it sounds - a really tasty classic Old Fashioned with just a hint of banana. Surprisingly classy:

• 2 parts bourbon
• .75 parts banana liqueur
• 6 dashes of Abbott's bitters (Campari is a fine substitute)
• Garnish with a dried banana chip

Now for the ones on my list to still try.

Banana Bliss:

• 1 part cognac
• .5 parts banana liqueur
• .33 parts sherry (dry vermouth is a good substitute for sherry)
• 4 dashes of Abbott's bitters (sub again can be Campari)
• Garnish with a banana chip or slice

Banana Alexander:

• 1.5 parts cognac
• 1 part banana liqueur
• 5 or 6 parts half and half
• Garnish with nutmeg

Banana Boulevardier

• 1 part bourbon
• 1 part sweet vermouth
• .5 parts Campari
• .5 parts banana liqueur
• Garnish with orange and banana

Banana Caipirinha 

• Cut half a lime and drop it to the bottom of a glass under ice
• Muddle a barspoon of sugar and a third a banana
• 2 parts cachaca
• .5 parts banana liqueur

Frozen Banana Daiquiri 

• 2 parts gold rum
• 1 part banana liqueur
• .5 parts lime juice
• 1 banana, with the center cut garnished on the rim of a hurricane glass

Banana Daiquiri Shaken

• 1.67 parts rum
• .75 parts banana liqueur
• .5 parts lime juice
• .33 parts water
• 4 drops of daiquiri bitters (I think this is something I actually need to invest in; as far as I know Bob's Bitters is the only brand)
• Garnish with a banana on the rim

Banana Split

• 1.5 parts cognac
• .75 parts banana liqueur
• 2 dashes of vanilla bitters (all these bitters can start to get pricey, so I'm going to try a teeny bit of vanilla extract as a substitute when I make this one)
• 2 dashes of chocolate bitters
• .75 parts banana tea (I don't know what this is, but I'm intrigued)
• .17 parts half and half (in other words, just a little!)
• Garnish with chocolate powder and banana on rim

Now the next time you're thinking about that frozen pina colada, remember what I've shared with you here. And some bartenders may be able to help you out!

Braulio is a chamomile and spearmint amaro that makes cocktails comforting

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts and it was an episode about one of my favorite digestives.

Stuff You Should Know is always an informative and entertaining show, and this episode from back in March was all about the Italian bitter digestive amaro, which can be prepared in countless ways. 

It inspired me to finally crack open that fancy bottle of Braulio Amaro that I've had in my cabinet for a while. Braulio is considered by Italians to be a "comforting" drink with notes of chamomile and spearmint. It can go into a lot of configurations, such as replacing Campari in recipes or being added into a Boulevardier or a Negroni for a bit of a twist on the classics.

Here are some Braulio cocktail recipes I plan to work with:

Long Look Back is essentially a way to have a Manhattan without the sweet vermouth.

• 1 part rye whiskey (bourbon works as a backup)
• .75 parts Braulio
• .75 parts Japanese whisky
• .5 parts demerara syrup (simple syrup works as a backup)
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• garnish with an orange peel

And for that Boulevardier twist, it can be called Palpable Apathy or simply a Braulio Boulevardier.

• 1 part sweet vermouth
• 1 part Braulio
• 1 part rye
• 1 dash of lemon bitters
• Garnish with a lemon twist

More great-looking cocktails to try with your yellow chartreuse

I recently wrote about my discovery of the joys of yellow chartreuse. Since then I’ve tried the Naked and Famous and La Valencia a couple more times and can vouch that they are indeed cocktails you must introduce into your rotations.

Now I’ve researched more yellow chartreuses drinks. I haven’t tried any of them, but I will try all, with the Quarterback and the Nathalia particularly high on my list.

Ambrosia Cocktail, not to be confused with the Ambrosia champagne-based cocktail and referred to as a Greek “elixir of life,” is custard colored, complex, and herbal:

• .75 parts cognac
• 2 parts Bols Advocaat liqueur (a Dutch brandy that has egg yolks and sugar and is natural with no preservatives)
• 1 part Licor 43 (which is a yellow, vanilla liqueur that is popular in Spain)
• .5 parts yellow chartreuse
• Garnish with nutmeg 

Brandy Fix is a tart classic:

• 2 parts cognac
• .5 parts pineapple juice
• .5 parts fresh lemon juice
• .25 parts simple syrup
• .15 parts yellow chartreuse
• Garnish with lemon zest

Daisy Cutter Martini is floral, minty, herbal, and dry:

• 3 mint leaves muddled
• 1.5 parts Ketel One vodka
• 1 part St. Germain elderflower
• 1 part dry vermouth
• .25 parts yellow chartreuse
• Garnish with floating mint leaf

East Village Athletic Club is a reference to a club in Detroit when this drink was invented, in 1951. This recipe is adapted by some New Yorkers:

• .75 parts blanco tequila
• .75 parts yellow chartreuse
• .75 parts Grand Marnier
• .75 parts fresh lemon juice
• Garnish with lime wedge

Nathalia is a strong banana cognac drink that was discovered at a bar in Paris:

• 2 parts cognac
• .75 parts yellow chartreuse
• .75 parts crème de banane liqueur
• 1 dash angostura bitters
• Garnish with orange zest

Oddball Manhattan Dry is:

• 2.5 parts Bulliet bourbon (you can use any bourbon, but I think Bulliet is excellent for mixing)
• 1 part dry vermouth
• .5 parts yellow chartreuse
• 3 dash angostura bitters
• 2 maraschino cherries

The Quarterback

Quarterback is a white, creamy, and flavorful drink with a bite:

• 1 part yellow chartreuse
• 1 part Cointreau
• 1 part double heavy cream
• 1 part milk
• Garnish with orange zest

Aperol doesn't have to be all about the wildly popular Aperol Spritz

Paper Plane, a key Aperol cocktail

When I was in Italy last summer, I mostly refused the safe choice of wine (I’m a beer and cocktail person) and made it into a challenge to find good drinks. I was mostly unsuccessful but did have lots of good conversations with waiters who seemed mostly open to my newfound mixology enthusiasm.

People kept telling me I should have an Aperol Spritz, which I finally succumbed to on our last night there. I hated it.

But recently I was intrigued to find out what all the Aperol hype is about and bought a bottle. The spirit was actually created in 1919 with a concept that having an aperitif with only 11 percent alcohol content was considered revolutionary, according to Difford's. Made from roots and herbs mostly found in Northern Italy, Aperol has hints of orange and rhubarb and a light red color.

The very first drink I tried making turned out to be excellent, and the handful of people I’ve made it for agree. It’s just the right mix of a little heavy and quite breezy and it’s called Paper Plane. Here’s how, in a martini glass, you make it: 

• .75 parts bourbon
• .75 parts Aperol
• .75 pt Amaro Nonino Quintessentia (or easily replicable with angostura bitters and sweet vermouth)
• .75 parts fresh squeezed lemon

Others on my list to make include:

Amarita is a fairly bitter drink served in a martini glass and with a long strand of lime zest as a garnish:

• 1.5 parts reposado tequila
• .75 parts Aperol
• .5 parts fresh squeezed lime juice
• 3 parts grapefruit bitters (optional)

Bitter Grapefruit is served in a martini glass with grapefruit zest for garnish:

• 1.5 parts vodka
• .5 parts Aperol
• 1 part sweet vermouth
• .5 parts fresh squeezed grapefruit juice

Bluegrass is served in a martini glass with cucumber muddled in the base of the shaker. It’s a Northern Irish invention that tastes like cucumber, bourbon, and bitter sweet orange. Upon first blush, I like it, even though I had to, in a pinch, use jalapeño simple syrup instead of regular simple syrup, and it really zings with the flavor of an orange crush soda:

• 2 inches of cucumber muddled
• 1.5 parts Bulleit bourbon
• .75 parts Aperol
• .20 parts simple syrup
• 1 dash angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters

Facundo’s Flare is a smooth, almost creamy drink with strong hints of vanilla and rum, served in a martini glass:

• 1.5 parts white rum
• .5 parts Aperol
• 1 part fresh squeezed orange juice
• .5 parts vanilla simple syrup
• 2 dashes of peach bitters
• .5 an egg white

Pre Siesta is a relatively recent drink created in London and is served in a martini glass with an orange zest garnish. I would recommend either staying away from this one entirely (unless you like a veeery Cointreau-heavy taste) or at least add copious amounts of ice and water or fizzy water:

• 2 parts reposado tequila
• .5 parts Aperol
• .75 parts Cointreau
• 3 dashes orange bitters

Two-One-Two was created in 2008 in New York City (get it, same area code?) and is served in a Collins glass with grapefruit or grapefruit zest for garnish. It presents as earthy with freshness:

• 2 parts fresh squeezed grapefruit
• 1 part Aperol
• 2 parts reposado tequila

So, by all means, go out and get yourself a bottle of Aperol, but make these drinks (Paper Plane and Bluegrass are my two favorites) instead of an Aperol Spritz.

Experimenting with yellow chartreuse, one of my favorite new cocktail ingredients

La Valencia

For the past year or so, one of my new hobbies has become mixology. It happened because I had been buying more and more middle- to higher-shelf liquors and enjoying them increasingly on the rocks, with nothing else other than maybe some fizzy water. Eventually I started to feel my tastebuds were demanding more complexities. So then I thought about all the great looking drinks I was increasingly seeing out at bars and restaurants.

That's when it hit me that I could do that too! Maybe not always quite as well. But by this point, I'm getting to a point where I've been confident enough to make cocktails more often for gatherings of friends and family.

So when I come across particularly good creations, or at least interestings ones, I hope to share them with you all. My latest curiosity has been to start playing around with yellow chartreuse, which costs around $60 to $70 a bottle, but is well worth it since the path it takes to that bottle is extensive. According to Liquor.com, "To make Chartreuse, monks of the Carthusian order macerate a blend of more than 130 botanicals (herbs, spices, roots, barks, and flowers) in either a sugar-beet spirit base (for green chartreuse) or a grape spirit base (for yellow chartreuse)." This happens in the French Alps and the monks recently made headlines for announcing they would not increase the supply despite the growing demand.

I have focused on the yellow version because it pairs with bourbon, run, mezcal, and tequila (which are my areas of burgeoning talent), whereas green pairs better with vodka and gin cocktails. It has a vibrant yellow color and a complex herbal and aromatic honey and spice flavor, with the exact ingredients and proportions remaining a closely guarded secret by the monks.

Anyway, here are the four recipes I've been working with for yellow chartreuse that I'm happy to share with you:

Greenpoint

• 2 parts rye whiskey
• 1/2 part yellow chartreuse
• 1/2 part sweet vermouth
• 1 dash angustura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• lemon garnish
• drink in a coupe glass

Naked and Famous

• 3/4 parts mezcal
• 3/4 parts aperol
• 3/4 parts lime juice
• 3/4 parts yellow chartreuse

The Last Word (Variation)

• 3/4 parts lime juice
• 1 part bourbon
• 3/4 parts yellow chartreuse (it’s supposed to be green chartreuse but yellow is delicious)
• cherry (I use cherry concentrate and little agave syrup for sweetness)
• lime garnish

And the one I tried for the first time last night is La Valencia

• 1 part whiskey
• 1 1/2 parts manzanilla sherry
• 1/2 part yellow chartreuse
• 3/4 parts lemon juice
• 1/2 part simple syrup
• 1 dash angustura bitters
• serve in a coupe glass

I had to substitute manzanilla sherry with dry vermouth and simple syrup with the jalepeno simple syrup I made earlier this week. Both substitutions worked really well, but I'm looking forward to the exact recipe one of these days.

If you have any yellow chartreuse recipes, please share them in the comments, and check out my second part of this blog, with more recipes.