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Spirits

Bourbon

Spirit45% ABV59 drinks

Is this for me?

Choose this if…

  • ✓You enjoy rich, complex spirits with oak, vanilla or smoky character.
  • ✓There are 59 drinks on WhatDrink using this.

Skip if…

  • ✗You prefer light, neutral or sweet spirits.

What is Bourbon?

Bourbon is an American whiskey used in Old Fashioned-style drinks, sours, highballs, juleps and stirred classics. It adds oak, vanilla, caramel and grain sweetness that balances citrus, bitters, mint and fruit.

What does Bourbon taste like?

Rich, oaky and lightly sweet, with vanilla, caramel, corn, spice and toasted wood notes. Bourbon pairs strongly with lemon, sugar, bitters, mint, orange, ginger, vermouth, apple and cherry flavours.

Bourbon profile

Mixability: HighIntensity: BoldBalancedBeginner-friendly: Medium

Best used for: old fashioneds, whiskey sours, manhattans, tropical drinks

  • Appears in 59+ recipes
  • Has 5 common substitutes
  • High-strength spirit (45% ABV)

Best For

old fashionedswhiskey soursmanhattanstropical drinksHigh mixability

Best With Bourbon

lemon juicesugarangostura bittersmintorangeginger alesweet vermouthapple

Drink Profile

Bold intensityBalanced sweetnessAppears in 59+ recipesHas 5 common substitutesHigh-strength spirit (45% ABV)

Best for

Substitutes & similar

Possible substitutes for Bourbon

rye whiskeyblended whiskeywhiskeybrandydark rum

What it is

What is bourbon in cocktails?

Bourbon brings vanilla, caramel, oak and grain-like warmth to drinks. In cocktails, it usually creates a rounder and sweeter impression than sharper or more neutral spirits.

How it's used

How bourbon is used in drinks

Bourbon works well in stirred drinks, sours, highballs and spirit-forward classics. It can handle citrus, bitters, mint, ginger, vermouth and richer sweeteners.

Pairing logic

What bourbon pairs with

Bourbon often pairs well with BBQ, steak, chocolate, citrus, spice and grilled flavors. Its oak and caramel notes can stand up to richer food without disappearing.

About this drink

Bourbon is an American whiskey style with legal production standards and a strong Kentucky association, although it is not limited only to Kentucky. Its cocktail role grew through drinks that use sweetness, bitters and citrus to frame corn-rich whiskey character.

Drink counts and recipe data are based on published WhatDrink recipes. Figures may vary as new recipes are added.