We’ve already covered the fact that June is one of the booziest months of the year. After all, it’s a month that contains National Moonshine Day (first Thursday in June), National Bubbly Day (first Saturday in June), National Cognac Day (June 4th), National Name Your Poison Day (June 8th), National Rosé Day (second Saturday in June), and National Martini Day (June 19th), but we’re not going to concern ourselves with any of those on this day. Instead, we’re going to talk about National Bourbon Day (June 14th). A holiday we hold close to our hearts.

Bourbon is a versatile drink that can be observed in any number of different ways. It can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, with just a splash of water, with a mixer, or our favorite way to enjoy it, used in bourbon cocktails. There are hundreds of different cocktails that use bourbon as their base, so we decided we would do some independent research and find out which ones were the best.

Of course, determining which bourbon cocktail is the best isn’t as easy as it sounds. After all, what tastes great to one person tastes like trash to someone else. That’s just another way of saying that personal preference plays a very big part in the type of cocktails that people like. So, we’re going to talk about our favorite bourbon cocktails — the ones that best allow this alcoholic beverage to shine.

The New York Sour

The New York Sour is a cocktail that’s rumored to be first made during the 1880s. It was created in Chicago by a bartender, which always makes us ponder why it’s not called a Chicago Sour. Shouldn’t it be called a Chicago Sour? Well, regardless of the reason, it’s called a New York Sour. Doesn’t matter. Below is our favorite version of this recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 2-Ounces Bourbon.
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice.
• 1 Tablespoon Simple Syrup.
• 2 Tablespoons Zinfandel Wine.
• 1 Strip Lemon Zest.

Directions:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Once that’s done, add lemon juice, bourbon, and simple syrup to it. Apply the lid, and shake until foamy and chilled. That should only be about 15-20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with large ice cubes.

Slowly and gently pour wine over the back of a spoon held just over the surface of the cocktail. This should allow the wine to float at the top of the glass. Take a lemon peel, pinch it, and then rub it over the rim of the glass. When that’s done, add the peel to the glass and serve the drink immediately.

The Old Fashioned

During the 1870s and 1880s, many bartenders began to make subtle and often controversial changes to whiskey cocktails, and the Old Fashioned was one of these changes. Although many people disliked that whiskey drinks were evolving beyond whiskey, sugar, bitters, and water, the Old Fashioned became an almost immediate hit. Let’s make one, shall we?

Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon Sugar.
• 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters.
• 1 Teaspoon Purified Water.
• 2 Ounces Of Bourbon.
• Orange Twist Garnish.

Directions:

In a mixing glass, add sugar and bitters. Then add the water and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Next, fill the mixing glass with ice, add the bourbon, and stir until the mixture is well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a solitary large ice cube. Express the oil of an orange twist over the glass, then place it into the glass to garnish.

Gold Rush

The Gold Rush is a bourbon-based cocktail that made it onto our list because it’s one of the perfect summer drinks. Although this drink has only been around since the early 2000s, it has somehow managed to capture our hearts. There are variations on this cocktail, but the following one is our favorite.

Ingredients:

• 3 Ounces Honey.
• 1 Ounce Warm Water.
• 1 Large Ice Cube.
• 2 Ounces Bourbon.
• 3/4-Ounce Fresh Lemon Juice.
• 3/4-Ounce Additional Honey Syrup.

Directions:

First, you have to make honey syrup. This can be done by combining 3 ounces of honey with 1 ounce of warm water. Shake until it’s well combined and then set aside.

Next, fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the bourbon, honey syrup, and lemon juice. Shake until chilled (about 20 seconds). Strain into a rocks glass filled with one large cube. Add additional honey syrup as desired.

Whiskey Smash

Why does it seem like all of the best bourbon-based cocktails come out of the 19th century? We’re not sure why that’s the case. All that we know is that the Whiskey Smash is another great cocktail that was first made in 1887. Now, it has made its way up in the world and onto this list.

Ingredients:

• 3 Lemon Wedges.
• 2 Ounces Bourbon.
• ¾ Ounce Simple Syrup.
• 4 Mint Leaves.
• Mint Sprig Garnish.
• Ice.

Directions:

Muddle the lemon wedges in a cocktail shaker. Add the simple syrup, bourbon, mint leaves, and ice. Shake for about 20 seconds or until well-chilled. Double-strain the concoction into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve immediately.

Bourbon-Ade

Another recipe that we like is called Bourbon-Ade. This really isn’t a cocktail recipe that was invented at any specific time, however. It just sort of surfaced on the Internet. With that said, let’s take a look at what makes this bourbon cocktail perfect for June.

Ingredients:

• 3/4-Ounce Triple Sec Liqueur.
• 1.25-Ounces Bourbon.
• 4-Ounces Of Lemonade.
• 1 Lemon Wedge.
• Ice.

Directions:

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker., except for the ice Shake vigorously for about 20 seconds. Place ice in a glass and then pour the cocktail over it. Garnish it with a lemon wedge and serve immediately.

Well, that does it for us today, folks. We hope the above bourbon-cocktail recipes allow you to not only observe National Bourbon Day with style but allow you to observe the whole month with style. As we said before and will probably say again, June is the booziest month of the year, and bourbon is the perfect drink to toast that fact. Until next time, be safe out there remember to always drink in moderation.