21 Popular Bourbon Cocktails

These popular bourbon cocktails are drinks that work in every season, from classic whiskey sours to bourbon smashes. Try my tested recipes in summer, winter, and every time in between.

Got a great bottle of bourbon whiskey? Bourbon works in any season. While it’s most often thought of in winter and fall with its cozy notes of vanilla and oak, there bubbly, refreshing summer bourbon cocktails, too!

I’ve have made hundreds of whiskey cocktails, and I’ve found I most often turn to bourbon in classic cocktails because of its smooth and sweet flavor. Here’s my list of the most popular bourbon drinks to make, from classics like the whiskey sour and Old Fashioned to unique drinks like the Gold Rush!

Best Bourbon Sour

The Bourbon Sour is one of the best known bourbon cocktails there is! It's balanced and sweet tart, complementing bourbon with the acidity of lemon and the sweetness of simple syrup. This version uses maple syrup to add a nuanced flavor. Also try an egg white foam topping to make a Boston Sour.

Seasons: Anytime! Works in summer or fall/winter

Boulevardier Cocktail

The Boulevardier is a bourbon drink that's smooth, rich, spicy, bitter, and warm all at once. The vibrant red jewel tone makes it stunning to look at. It’s essentially a Negroni made with whiskey instead of gin, and the sweetness of the bourbon perfectly balances the bitter Campari.

Seasons: Anytime! Works in summer or fall/winter

New York Sour

Here's a fun bourbon cocktail: the New York Sour! The beautiful two-toned layers make it a crowd favorite. First you have the whiskey sour layer: sweet tart and sweetened with maple for nuance. Then float a layer of red wine over the top and it adds intrigue, complexity and a fruity acidity.

Seasons: Anytime! Works in summer or fall/winter

Kentucky Mule

Swap vodka for bourbon in a classic Moscow mule cocktail and you’ve got the Kentucky mule! It’s bubbly, bright and bold, with zingy lime and a spicy whiskey finish. Even better: it’s so easy to make! There’s no shaking or stirring required: just pour it all into the glass.

Seasons: Works anytime, but it's a great summer bourbon cocktail

Bourbon Sidecar

The Sidecar is one of the most classic of all sour cocktails. Change the brandy to bourbon, and you’ve got a whole new drink: the Bourbon Sidecar This one trades the fruitiness of brandy for the spicy sweet finish of bourbon whiskey. Also try Between the Sheets, which adds rum.

Seasons: Anytime! Works in summer or fall/winter

Paper Plane Cocktail

Here's one of my personal favorite bourbon cocktails of all time: the Paper Plane! This one is a brilliant study in balance and contrast: it's bitter, sweet, and tangy all at once, hitting a magical synergy between the bourbon and Aperol. This one’s a modern classic, invented in the early 2000's.

Seasons: Anytime! Works brilliantly in summer, fall or winter.

Maple Bourbon Smash

This bourbon cocktail is classy and refreshing: the bourbon smash! Contrary to most whiskey cocktails, this one is tangy and light, not heavy and boozy. It’s a citrus spin on the classic Mint Julep, featuring lemon and muddled fresh mint. It’s perfect for entertaining or evening cocktails on the patio.

Seasons: A perfect summer bourbon cocktail

John Collins

Here’s a fun whiskey drink that’s a spin on a classic: the John Collins cocktail! Where the Tom Collins stars gin and lemon juice, this version swaps in bourbon whiskey. It's essentially a sparkling whiskey sour, served up with soda water in a highball glass! Bubbly and refreshing, the whiskey adds bold flavor notes to this drink.

Seasons: Anytime! Great in the summer.

Bourbon Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is one of the most famous whiskey cocktails there is. This drink dates back to the early 1800’s, before the words classic and cocktail were even said next to each other. It's simply lightly sweetened booze seasoned with bitters. You can use either rye whiskey or bourbon, but I personally like the round flavor with bourbon for my Old Fashioned.

Seasons: Warming drink for fall/winter

Gold Rush Cocktail

This classy cocktail's name makes it sounds like a 1920’s mixed drink, but it’s actually a modern spin on the classic whiskey sour. If you’re a lover of bourbon drinks, add this one to your “must make" list. Each sip has the zing of lemon, nuanced sweetness of honey, and a spicy whiskey finish.

Seasons: Anytime! Works in summer or fall/winter

Bourbon Manhattan

This sophisticated whiskey drink has a long history and been a classic for years: the Manhattan! It’s a three ingredient cocktail, but there’s so much going on in one sip! Vanilla, oak and caramel notes from the bourbon, sweet and spicy from the vermouth, and bitter and herby from the bitters.

Seasons: Moody and sophisticated for fall/winter

Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail

My Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail is one of my favorites for fall and winter! It’s balanced, sweet tart, and complex, fruity with intriguing notes from sweet vermouth. It's ideal for fall or winter entertaining, but it's so refreshing that it works in summer too (garnish with an orange slice).

Season: Anytime!

Bourbon Highball

Here’s a refreshing way to drink your favorite bourbon: the classic Whiskey Highball! This two-ingredient cocktail originated around the turn of the 20th century and it’s still popular to this day. It’s so easy to make, simply pairing your favorite bourbon and soda water.

Seasons: Perfect summer whiskey cocktail

Blackberry Bourbon Smash

This bourbon cocktail is tangy and refreshing, perfect for summer: the Bourbon Smash! Featuring muddled blackberries, mint, and lime, tangy, lightly sweet, and boozy from the bourbon. Add a splash of soda water and it rounds out the flavor, then serve with crushed ice!

Seasons: Ideal in the summer

Bourbon Lemonade

Here’s a drink that’s ideal for when temperatures rise: bourbon lemonade! This refreshing summer cocktail is great for beating the heat. Make up a big pitcher of fresh squeezed lemonade, refreshing and sweet tart. Then swirl it with some bourbon in a glass so you get all that boozy, spicy finish to each sip.

Seasons: Ideal in the summer

Brown Derby Cocktail

Here’s a bourbon drink that’s sweet, citrusy and just plain fun: the Brown Derby cocktail! This 1930’s retro drink is a tasty bourbon cocktail that tones down spicy whiskey with sweet grapefruit juice. It uses honey syrup instead of the traditional simple syrup, which adds complexity and mellow undertones.

Season: Anytime!

Revolver

Here’s a bourbon cocktail to impress all your friends: the Revolver! This spin on the Manhattan stars bourbon paired with Tia Maria, a coffee liqueur, in place of the classic sweet vermouth. It gives sweet vanilla and oak notes as you start the sip, with a finish of lingering bittersweet coffee. Garnish it with a flamed orange twist to insert an aroma of burnt orange.

Season: A great fall and winter bourbon cocktail

Bourbon Milk Punch

Here’s a creamy, cold bourbon cocktail that’s delicious in any season: Bourbon Milk Punch! The unexpected combination of milk and bourbon just works: the richness of the milk perfectly compliments the oak and vanilla notes in the bourbon. Add a vanilla and nutmeg, and this historic cocktail is every bit as epic today as the day it was invented!

Season: Anytime!

Bourbon Ginger

Here’s one of the easiest bourbon cocktails: the Bourbon Ginger! Bourbon and ginger ale are the perfect pair, since the spicy notes of the liquor meld into the subtle sweet and bubbly notes of the ale. Add a squeeze of lime and a big ice cube.

Season: Anytime, but it's a great summer bourbon cocktail

Bourbon Hot Toddy

Need a warming drink for cold weather? Try the Bourbon Hot Toddy! This one will warm you from head to toe, with a tasty kick from the whiskey. Pour boiling water over a shot of bourbon, then top off with lemon and spices. It’s perfect for sipping on chilly evenings.

Season: A great fall or winter bourbon cocktail

Bourbon Sazerac

Love a Sazerac but don't have rye whiskey? Make a the Bourbon Sazerac! This boozy slow sipper is traditionally made with rye whiskey and Cognac. But simplify it and make it with bourbon, and it’s just as good. Adding absinthe, sugar and bitters to bourbon whiskey makes a sophisticated cocktail that’s both elevated and simple.

Season: A great fall and winter bourbon cocktail

Want cocktails by season? Try our top Summer Bourbon Cocktails or Fall Bourbon Cocktails.

What Makes Bourbon Different

In the US, bourbon must be from at least 51% corn, which gives it a sweetness and smooth finish. I personally like that bourbon is less spicy than rye whiskey and smoother than Scotch, which makes it most approachable in cocktails. Bourbon is aged in charred oak barrels, which is what brings in the vanilla, caramel, and oak notes to the flavor.

If you’re wondering the difference between bourbon vs whiskey, bourbon is a type of whiskey with specific legal requirements around the production process.

When to Serve Bourbon Cocktails

Light, refreshing bourbon cocktails are great for warm weather. The bourbon smash, bourbon highball, and bourbon lemonade are all perfect for summer parties.

For fall and winter entertaining, I like more spirit-forward bourbon drinks like the Boulevardier and Old Fashioned.

And of course, the whiskey sour and New York Sour work in any season! They’re the most approachable for drinkers of many tastes.