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4 Great Bourbon Cocktails |
Many certainly enjoy a bit of bourbon "neat," meaning a drink of about two ounces served at room temperature. Some, however, prefer drinking their bourbon chilled, in which case pouring it over a couple of ice cubes will do the trick, although doing so will dilute the taste a bit. Yet others want to mix it up with a variety of bourbon cocktails. Here at Joe Canal's Discount Liquor in Woodbridge, NJ, want to share some of the most popular concoctions. Joe Canal’s serves customers in Woodbridge, NJ, and the surrounding areas, and ships statewide. What Makes Bourbon Different and How Does It Taste?Bourbon is classified as an American style of whiskey. To be classified as bourbon, it must be distilled from a mix of grain or mash containing at least 51 percent corn. It is the corn that gives bourbon its sweet flavor. Bourbon is aged in new, charred oak barrels. As such, it combines a taste of oak with vanilla and caramel. A wheated bourbon, made with a higher amount of wheat, tends to be a bit mellower or softer, with a taste almost like a loaf of freshly-baked homemade bread. A high-rye bourbon will have a more peppery, spicy note. Bourbon Cocktails to Make at HomeBelow are a few bourbon cocktails you can make at home. The Bourbon Old FashionedOne of the best-known bourbon cocktails is the Bourbon Old Fashioned. In its simplest form, the Old Fashioned combines bourbon, sugar, bitters, and orange, with a cherry garnish. This allows for a variety of tastes depending on the syrup or sugar cube used. We recommend two spoonfuls of simple syrup with two to three dashes each of aromatic bitters and orange bitters to two ounces of your favorite bourbon, such as 1792 Small Batch Bourbon. Mix for 30 seconds to one minute and pour over one large ice cube. You can spritz it with an orange or lemon peel and top it off with a cocktail cherry. The Benton's Old FashionedOne version of an Old Fashioned developed within the past two decades is Benton's Old Fashioned. This version is named after being infused with Benton's smoked country ham, although other brands of smoked ham or bacon can be used. You will need two ounces of fat-washed bourbon, made from a 750 ml bottle of bourbon (or maybe even try a bourbon liqueur, like Jim Beam Honey Bourbon), combined with 1½ ounces of liquid ham or bacon fat, infused for four hours. Follow this by freezing it for two hours and then straining it from the fat through a cheesecloth. Add ¼ ounce maple syrup, two dashes of orange, and your choice of bitters mix with ice and stir until well chilled. Strain over one large ice cube and top it off with a squeeze of orange twist. While this may sound a bit complex, we believe you will find yourself wanting to make some of the infusion every time you prepare a ham dinner or some bacon slices. The Mint JulepBorn in Kentucky, the Mint Julep is as well-known as the Old Fashioned. Its flavoring, of course, comes from the essential oils of the mint leaves used. The leaves will need to be muddled, or gently mashed with a muddler or unfinished wooden spoon, with 1½ tsp. sugar and a splash of water, three or four times in the bottom of your cocktail shaker. Add 1.3 ounces of bourbon, perhaps Bulleit. Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir. Garnish with a leaf of the same type of mint used to muddle. Customarily, Kentuckians recommend spearmint, but you can experiment with whatever type of mint you prefer. How About a Peach Beer Julep?Developed in New York City, this take on a julep is sweetened with a syrup derived from Indian Pale Ale (IPA). To make the syrup, stir together ½ cup of the beer and ½ cup demerara sugar, a partially refined light brown cane sugar from Guyana, in a saucepan on medium-low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to one week. Place two peach slices, or other preferred stone fruit such as plum or nectarine slices, and muddle in your shaker or a julep cup. Add two ounces of bourbon, one-half ounce of your prepared IPA syrup, and crushed ice and swizzle. Add more crushed ice and repeat until your cup is roughly ¾ full. Then, add additional crushed ice atop and garnish with mint sprigs. Yum! Find a Great Selection of Bourbons at Joe Canal’sOnce you start experimenting you will find many different bourbon cocktails to try and determine your own favorites. The key is to become accustomed to different bourbon varieties and decide which you enjoy most to blend with other flavorings. At Joe Canals Discount Liquors in Woodbridge, NJ, we are happy to discuss bourbon brands and varieties as well as the various syrups and additives used for a variety of bourbon cocktails. Check out our selection of other spirits, wines, and beers. We offer curbside pickup and local delivery. Order online or contact us to learn more. |
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