The height of the Bourbon craze may be behind us, but many bartenders note that the spirit is as favored as ever among bar patrons. “Bourbon culture has taken on a life that mirrors that of wine enthusiasts—people are definitely more educated, taking a keen interest in the entire production process from start to finish, and there’s a huge market for the more discerning palate,” says Judson Sherman-Rose, food and beverage director for the Freehand hotel in Chicago. “As people are learning more, they’re expecting more out of their Bourbon and aren’t afraid to pay for it. I feel this spike in popularity comes from our growing appreciation for craftsmanship and culture in the culinary world and Bourbon has become considered a status symbol or a mark of sophistication.”

Echoing this, Steven Marshall, lead bartender for Dirty Habit at Hotel Zelos in San Francisco, notes that “Bourbon has a certain prestige,” adding that the category has a lot to offer all types of drinkers. “Guests that enjoy it tend to go all in and learn as much as possible, myself included, but it’s also much more approachable than other whisk(e)y categories, especially rye and Scotch,” he says. “Guests that are just starting to learn about cocktails and spirits tend to enjoy Bourbon more than other whiskies because of its gentler and sweeter profile.”

Marshall also notes that Bourbon’s versatility in cocktails certainly adds to its popularity. “With more producers emerging each year, there are more styles emerging as well—as a result, you can find a Bourbon for really any cocktail idea you can think of,” he says.

Indeed, from unique takes on familiar favorites to more outside-the-box applications, Bourbon-based cocktails run the gamut, appealing to whisk(e)y enthusiasts and novices alike.

Elevating The Classics

Although Bourbon cocktails have grown more varied in the years since the cocktail renaissance first took hold, certain classic recipes will always be synonymous with the spirit, and bartenders remain drawn to them for inspiration. “The Old Fashioned and Whiskey Sour are still the North Star that I use as a guide when designing Bourbon cocktails, but I’m constantly trying to find ways to elevate the form, whether by trying a new acid or adding fat to the spirit, or any number of other techniques,” says Ethan Coonce, bar manager at Decade in Louisville, Kentucky. “I see techniques and approaches changing, but a continued reliance on what came before. One bartender here at Decade made a Bourbon miso cocktail to add a touch of umami and a lot of depth to a simple Gold Rush, which itself is a twist on the Whiskey Sour.” The drink he refers to is the Honey For Nothing ($15) by Vyvian Nguyen, blending Old Forester 100 Bourbon, Alto del Carmen Pisco, house-made miso honey syrup, and lemon juice.

“Bourbon is one of the most requested base spirits with our guests and is an essential foundation in our cocktail program,” says Andrew Adamson, director of restaurants for Lush Life Hospitality, which owns 2 Spring in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island among other concepts. On 2 Spring’s cocktail menu there are several takes on Bourbon-based classics: lead bartender Antonio Lacan’s House Julep ($19) features Michter’s Small Batch Bourbon and house-made spearmint syrup;

Adamson’s Golden Hour Sour ($19) comprises Weller Special Reserve Bourbon, Yellow Chartreuse liqueur, house-made ginger honey syrup, lemon juice, and egg white; and Lacan’s Smoked Maple Old Fashioned ($19) is a cherrywood-smoked mix of Old Forester 100, house-made smoked maple syrup, Fee Brothers Black Walnut bitters, and Angostura bitters. “Bourbon brings both strength and soul—it’s assertive but versatile, and its complexity makes it a joy to build around,” Adamson adds. “Unlike vodka or gin, it contributes distinct character even in small amounts. From toffee and vanilla to spice and oak, it creates a deep foundation for flavor layering in cocktails.” His Coal Miner’s Daughter ($19) is bold and warming with vanilla and spice notes, blending Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Lustau East India Solera Sherry, Licor 43, and Angostura bitters.

“My golden rule with Bourbon-based cocktails is that less is more—Bourbon comes out of the bottle delicious and full of depth so finding simple yet creative ways to showcase and elevate the flavors is key,” says Matt Hunter, beverage manager at Rex at the Royal in Philadelphia. “Since Bourbon has a natural sweetness of its own, it works better in spirit-forward cocktails than most other spirits. With such profound flavor, most Bourbon cocktail builds only need a flavor direction and an ingredient or two.” The Royal Old Fashioned ($18) comprises Uncle Nearest Bourbon, demerara syrup, and a house-made blend of orange, chicory, and vanilla bitters.

“More restaurants and bars are showing their creativity by customizing traditional Bourbon cocktails such as the Old Fashioned by making unique and interesting syrups, bitters, tinctures, and other ingredients,” notes Dirty Habit’s Marshall.

“Bartenders have realized that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel, you’re just adding new treads.” His The Dirty Affair ($22) is a cherrywood-smoked Old Fashioned variation mixing Savage & Cooke The Burning Chair Bourbon, house-made ginger and turmeric syrup, and FloraLuna Bacon Faux-bacco bitters; at No. 79 Bar & Terrace in New York City, mixologist and bar consultant Charlotte Voisey’s Espresso Old Fashioned ($17) comprises Michter’s Bourbon, house-made espresso syrup, and Bob’s Vanilla bitters, while at The Kingsway in New Orleans, the Johnny Five Old Fashioned ($17) blends 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, house-made five spice and soy syrup, Szechuan pepper-infused Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters, and Angostura bitters. “Bourbon is unique for cocktail-making in that it takes a more measured approach to building a recipe,” says Colin Williams, who created the Johnny Five Old Fashioned and serves as bar manager at The Kingsway as well as its sibling restaurant Saffron. “You first really have to dissect the actual spirit and find what shines through in its flavor profile before you start to build a cocktail. Bourbon can be so varied between different mash bills proofs, and oak treatments, so adapting your recipe to fit the specific Bourbon you’re using is key to a balanced drink.” Thanks to this variation among brands and styles, Bourbon is quite adaptable, Voisey notes. “It shows well in simple drinks like the Old Fashioned where the quality base spirit is just highlighted with a few touches, but it can also go tropical when combined with bold flavors like pineapple, mint, and even peach,” she says. “Bourbon has only become more popular in recent years and the variety of cocktails made with it has grown to offer new creations alongside the classics.”

Creativity At A High

Williams attributes the invention and ensuing popularity of the Paper Plane—created by bartender Sam Ross in 2007 at The Violet Hour in Chicago—as helping prove that Bourbon isn’t only for strong, stirred drinks. “Bourbon-based cocktails have become more varied in recent years than they were even ten years ago—we’re starting to see a lot more refreshing, lighter drinks pop up,” he says. At Saffron, his Fly Like a Ghee-Six ($18) mixes 1792 Small Batch Bourbon, ghee-smoked peach-infused Aperol, G.E. Massenez Crème de Pêche peach liqueur, lemon juice, house-made star anise syrup, saline solution, and Peychaud’s bitters. Similarly on the lighter, brighter end of the spectrum, Marshall’s Red Orchid ($18) at Dirty Habit blends Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon, Carpano Classico sweet vermouth, Combier Crème de Fleur de Sureau elderflower liqueur, agave syrup, and lemon juice.

“As cocktails and cocktail culture continue to grow and expand, creativity is at an all-time high,” notes Rex at the Royal’s Hunter. “At first, it was just replacing one spirit with Bourbon and adding Kentucky to the name; now, we’re fully utilizing and curating beverage experiences around Bourbon and stepping out of the comfort zones of more neutral and conventional spirits like vodka and Tequila.” His Home Remedy ($14) is a twist on the Penicillin, comprising Old Forester Bourbon, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, roasted sweet potato purée, house-made smoked and salted honey, lemon juice, and a mist of Laphroaig 10-year-old Scotch, while his Deep South 3 ($14) mixes Old Forester, iced tea, house-made peach hot honey, and lemon juice. “Some of my personal favorite ingredients to play with are bitters, dried fruits, and spices or herbs like cinnamon and rosemary,” Hunter adds. “I also recommend richer flavors like coffee, banana, and sweet potato. Citrus and stone fruit flavors, particularly lemon, passion fruit, mango, and peach, do well in this lane, too. Bourbon is the perfect medium to bring classic pairings together, like cinnamon and peach or sweet potato and lemon.”

The Freehand hotel’s Sherman-Rose notes that as all types of whisk(e)y have surged in popularity over the past several years, it’s urged bartenders to be more creative with their offerings. At the hotel’s Broken Shaker bar, the Bourbon-based cocktails highlight the spirit’s ability to blend with bright fruit flavors just as well as it does with bolder ingredients: the Lo Siento Papi ($18) features Smooth Ambler Bourbon, Copper & Kings brandy, plus Chinola passion fruit liqueur, lemon juice, and house-made hibiscus and sage syrup, while the Gracing the Lily ($18)—created by Tim Sweeney, head bartender for venue owner Authentic Hospitality—blends Rabbit Hole Heigold Bourbon, Aperol, mango purée, lemon juice, house-made cinnamon syrup, and Regans’ No. 6 Orange bitters.

“What started as a primarily Old Fashioned-driven category has evolved into something that people are more open-minded about,” notes Brantley Newton, bar manager at The Moderne in Orlando, Florida. “With Bourbon primarily defined by the flavors it draws from charred new American oak barrels, anything particularly complementary to baking spices and vanilla plays well with it, from apples and peaches to tiki flavors and tropical fruits like passion fruit and guava.” The Kickstart My Heart ($14), which Newton created with bartender Kyle Bates, features grilled pineapple and basil-infused Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, pineapple and lemon juices, Coco Lopez cream of coconut, demerara syrup, Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal, and Angostura bitters, while bartender and server Eldon Taylor’s Come On And Slam If You Wanna Jam ($14) mixes strawberry and lavender-infused Legent Bourbon, Montenegro amaro, Marie Brizard Elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and honey syrup that’s been steeped in the strawberries and lavender strained out of the Bourbon infusion.

“Old Fashioneds and Manhattans remain strong, but there’s a growing interest in creative, culinary-driven flavor profiles in Bourbon cocktails,” notes Lush Life Hospitality’s Adamson. “Bartenders are now using clarified juices, fat-washing techniques, house-made bitters, and barrel-aging to deepen complexity. There’s also more seasonal and regional experimentation—using things like sorghum, smoked fruits, or foraged ingredients to reflect a place or time of year.”

Decade’s Coonce enjoys thinking outside the box with his Bourbon cocktails. “There are typical flavors that always work with Bourbon, such as cinnamon, vanilla, peach, and black tea—what I like to do is find something that doesn’t typically go with Bourbon and find a way to bridge the flavors,” he says. “I love finding ways to surprise Bourbon fans with a unique and memorable combination of flavors, texture, and aesthetic. A simple example is a Bourbon Collins I made that features pineapple and lime juices, but I used a clove and sage syrup as a connecting flavor.” The drink, called the Easy Enough ($14), comprises Green River Bourbon, Foro amaro, pineapple and lime juices, and house-made clove and sage syrup. Similarly featuring Bourbon alongside amaro and fruit, his Red Rush ($14) blends Old Forester 100, Meletti amaro, house-made raspberry shrub, lemon juice, and Angostura bitters, topped with soda water and fresh mint. “Bourbon is a mainstay on cocktail menus now more than ever,” Coonce adds. “I think it will continue to be a great spirit for crafting inviting and welcoming cocktails that also show off unique and subtle creativity.”