September is National Bourbon Heritage Month, which means you have an even better reason to celebrate Bourbon for an entire month. At BourbonBlog.com, we do it every month and we encourage you to as well.

Wild Turkey tells us that have put a unique take on three of the most iconic whiskey cocktails–the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned and the Whiskey Sour–to commemorate National Bourbon Heritage Month. Wild Turkey Bourbon, at 101 proof, delivers a deeper, richer flavor that fits perfectly with these cocktails below. Each cocktail evokes the perfectly balanced profile that has made these drinks real classics, while tweaking them to surprise even a seasoned cocktail enthusiast.

The Manhattan 101

Ingredients:

1 3/4 ounces Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/3 ounce dry vermouth
1/3 ounce sweet vermouth
1 thin slice fresh ginger
3 mint leaves
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
Dash aromatic bitters

Muddle ginger, mint, powdered sugar and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon, vermouth and ice. Shake and strain into a chilled glass.

The Old Fashioned 101

Ingredients:

1 1/3 ounce Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/2 ounce apple cider
3 sage leaves
1 pinch of saffron
1 tsp brown sugar
2 orange twists
1 tsp orange zest
1 fresh cherry
1 ounce Amaretto

Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Amaretto. Muddle cider, sage, saffron, brown sugar, orange twists and zest together in glass. Add Wild Turkey Bourbon and stir. Strain and serve over ice, garnish with Amaretto-soaked cherry.

The Whiskey Sour 101

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounces Wild Turkey Bourbon
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce honey
1 fresh cherry
1 ounce Wild Turkey American Honey
Dollop of egg white

Slice cherry from top to bottom five times around pit, and soak in a cup of Wild Turkey American Honey. Combine Wild Turkey Bourbon, grapefruit juice, lime juice and honey in a cocktail shaker. Froth egg white and add a dollop to the mixture. Shake and serve over ice. Garnish with Wild Turkey American Honey-soaked cherry.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Glass, while appearing to be smooth and impermeable, has microscopic valleys that can be used to hold flavoring elements. Bartenders regularly use this concept, washing with Absinthe, Vermouth or other spirits. This technique holds smoke, affecting the nose of the cocktail.

Mis-en-place:

¼ lb Smoking wood of choice, in a heat-resistant plate.
Brulee torch
Cocktail or Coupe Glass

Use torch to smoke wood. Invert glass over smoke, for 3-5 seconds. Glass storage lasts for 15 minutes at most.

In a tin:

2 oz. Maker’s 46
½ tsp Dumante Pistachio liqueur
Ice

Shake well. Strain into primed glass. Rim glass with cinnamon stick. Serve without the stick, au naturel.

For maximum effect, use only the cleanest ice one can find as a poor product will mask the flavor profile.
Recipe and article by BourbonBlog.com‘s Mixologist and Beverage Consultant Stephen Dennison

Popularity: 4% [?]

The syrup mentioned in BourbonBlog.com‘s article and creation “Maker’s and Coke, Reengineered” can also be used in a tertiary, or balancing approach. This simple infusion recipe brings a balance to the infusion that is ‘good out of the bottle.’ Shaken, served up. Pretty garnish. Done.

For the syrup:

1 part Coca-cola
1 part Sugar

Bring Coke to a simmer, dissolve sugar. Allow to rest until at room temperature. Store, refrigerated, 2 weeks.

1 lb Blueberries, picked
1.75 L Vodka (we used Vikingfjord Vodka or Tito’s Handmade Vodka)

Empty the vodka out of the bottle until it is at 70% capacity, visual measurement. Add blueberries. Fill with simple syrup. Let sit for 5 days and serve.

- Article and recipe by BourbonBlog.com‘s Mixologist/Beverage Consultant Stephen Dennison

Popularity: 7% [?]

When the staff at BourbonBlog.com first tasted the new Maker’s 46, our heads were awash with ideas for using the newest member of the bourbon family. We finally settled on this recipe as the most appropriate first. The Maker’s and Coke is most likely the single most enjoyed drink in Kentucky. To take the commonplace, turn it upside-down and the present it to the guest in a new form is entertaining, both for the user and the producer.

The soda simple syrup technique was originally designed as a preservation technique for uncommon sodas like root beer, orange or grape. Items not normally found on the bar gun, cans that would be too cumbersome to store behind the bar and whose proportions would inevitably lead to waste (as you would only use ½ of the opened can.) I recommend taking liberties and exploring the technique. You simply are losing the bubbles, adding a nuance of carbonic acid, and preserving the flavor for multiple uses.


For the syrup:

1 part Coca-Cola
1 part Sugar

Bring Coke to a simmer in a small pot. Add sugar and dissolve. Allow to come to
room temperature before storing, refrigerated.

For the Cocktail:

2 oz. Maker’s 46
¼ oz. Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Twist of Lemon, to garnish

Place all in mixing tin with ice. Shake for 10 seconds after frost forms outside
tin. Serve up, in a cocktail glass. Lemon twist, to garnish.

Article and recipe by BourbonBlog.com‘s Mixologist Stephen Dennison

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Brandy Alexander has existed in its esoteric cradle for too long. This recipe updates and ellaborates upon the original expression of this classic. Single Malt, meet malted beverage.

The Malted Alexander

2 oz. Wasmund’s Single Malt Whisky
3 oz. Coffee Ice cream
3 ice cubes

Place all in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into large snifter. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Recipe created by and article by BourbonBlog.com Beverage Constultant Stephen Dennison

Popularity: 15% [?]

BourbonBlog.com’s Tom Fischer travels to Charleston, South Carolina and Peninsula Grill at Planters Inn invites him in for a few Bourbon cocktails. Planter’s Inn has been highly awarded by Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Magazine, and for good reason! Peninsula Grill is known for delicious Bourbon cocktails and Wild Turkey American Honey recipes and Bourbon creations we are sharing with you below.

Bourbon Honey Old-Fashioned

Ingredients:

2 parts Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon
2 parts Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon.
Angostura Bitters
Sugar Cube
Maraschino Cherry
Orange Wedge
Ice

Instructions:

Soak sugar cube with bitter and drop cube in a rocks glass. Add a wedge of orange and maraschino cherry. Muddle fruit into sugar cube. Add both Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon and Wild Turkey American Honey to the glass. Finish by filling glass with ice.

Southern Manhattan

Ingredients:

2 parts Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Whiskey
1.25 parts Southern Comfort
Angostura Bitters
Brandy soaked cherry
1 part Sweet Vermouth
Ice

Instructions:

Shake Wild Turkey Russel’s Reserve, Southern Comfort, and Sweet vermouth over ice and strain into martini glass. Add bitters and Brandy Soaked Cherry.

Peninsula Whiskey Sour

Ingredients:

1 part Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
1/2 part Disaronno Amaretto
1 Triple sec
1 Sweet and Sour mix
Splash of Sprite
Crushed ice

Instructions:

Add Basil Hayden’s, Disaronno Amaretto, Triple Sec, and Sweet and Sour Mix to a rocks glass half full crushed ice. Top off with splash of Sprite.

Visit the Peninsula Grill for an incredible meal and these delicious drinks when you are in Charleston, South Carolina on
112 North Market Street
Charleston, SC 29401-3157
Tel: (843) 723-0700

BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer at Peninsula Grill, Charleston, South Carolina

Special thanks to Peninsula Grill’s Bartender/Mixologist Morgan Cawley and to my Dad for joining me

Popularity: 18% [?]

Wild Turkey Bourbon  Master Distiller Jimmy Russell tells BourbonBlog.com that just because the Kentucky Derby is over doesn’t mean that the flavors of the Southern classic Julep are out for the rest of the season. Russell’s summer recipe, Wild Turkey Mint Tea, and other summer drinks made with Wild Turkey American Honey and Wild Turkey Bourbon below.

The LiberTea

Ingredients (makes 1 large pitcher):
4 cups water
4 cups lemonade
4 black tea bags
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Wild Turkey Bourbon
1 1/2 cups American Honey

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat; add 4 teabags of black tea. Steep 8 minutes; discard teabags. Add 2 cups cold water and lemonade; transfer to pitcher and chill. Add fresh basil leaves. Using a wooden spoon, crush basil until fragrant. Stir in Wild Turkey Bourbon and American Honey. Serve over ice.

Wild Turkey Mint Tea

Ingredients (makes 1 pitcher):
4 cups water
4 black tea bags
2 tbsp Sugar
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 cups Wild Turkey Bourbon
Juice of half lemon
Juice of half lime

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat; add 4 teabags of black tea. Steep 8 minutes; discard teabags. Add 2 cups cold water. Transfer to pitcher and chill. Add fresh mint leaves. Using a wooden spoon, crush mint until fragrant. Stir in Wild Turkey bourbon. Serve over ice.

Wild Turkey Sparkling Tea

Ingredients (makes 1 pitcher):
4 cups water
8 red herbal tea bags (such as lemon zinger or hibiscus)
2 cups Wild Turkey American Honey
Splash of club soda
Juice of one lemon
Cherries for garnish

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, boil 2 cups water. Remove from heat. Add tea bags. Steep 10 minutes; discard tea bags. Add 2 cups cold water to tea. Stir in Wild Turkey American Honey. Transfer to pitcher and chill. Just before serving, add lemon juice and a splash of club soda for a touch of refreshing fizz. Serve over ice.

Popularity: 17% [?]