These Are The Best Bourbon Cocktails To Order On A Date If You Hate Bourbon
Happy National Bourbon Day, guys! I didn't actually know this was a thing, but now I do -- and more importantly, now YOU do -- so what better way to celebrate it than by sampling some bourbon delights for yourself?
I honestly don't really prefer the taste of bourbon (I'm more of a vino girl), but if you're single AF like I am, you might want to hop off the wine train for a hot minute and on to the whiskey one. Dudes are SO down with girls who can throw back a bourbon -- once you get the guy who's been eyeing you at the bar right where you want him, feel free to go back to drinking whatever you want.
I kid, I kid. Kind of. You should never drink something you aren't comfortable drinking, but every now and then, it's nice to step out of your comfort zone, or else you run the risk of getting dumb bored of your go-to drink.
In the event that you do want to come off as an impressive bourbon BAMF even though, like me, you don't like bourbon, here are four drinks you could order.
A classic Old Fashioned, for the newbie:
You don't have to be a bourbon connoisseur like Don Draper to enjoy an Old Fashioned. Anyone who isn't crazy about whiskey or bourbon should start with this classic cocktail just to get a feel for how bourbon is supposed to be enjoyed.
What makes this cocktail unique is the Angostura bitters; other than that, it calls for bourbon or rye whiskey as the base liquor, some sugar and some water. Make sure to always opt for a top-shelf bourbon instead of a well bourbon (I recommend Jim Beam single barrel or Bulleit), so you don't end up with a wicked hangover.
If you want to get lit after just one cocktail, this should be your drink of choice.
An Apple Crisp, for the girl with a sweet tooth:
Honey in anything is good. I know this because I put it in my oatmeal, tea, and basically anything else that could benefit from being a little sweeter.
This apple-y recipe calls for Buffalo Trace bourbon, lemon juice, club soda, 100-proof apple brandy (YUM) and, of course, a dash or two of honey syrup. You can make your own or just buy some at the store. Find the recipe for this fun DIY cocktail here.
Bourbon Fizz, for the low-maintenance girl:
My editor told me that ginger ale and bourbon is a pretty legit combination. Really, anything carbonated will work here with the bourbon because bubbles always do a good job of masking strong tastes. This simple cocktail is also good for the girl whose go-to drink is the vodka soda, because you're already used to drinking strong, two-ingredient drinks like a champ.
A standard Bourbon Fizz is just bourbon with club soda, and then whichever kind of juice your heart desires. Many are made with orange juice, but there are different variations; you can get fancy with it and use strawberry juice like this one Instagrammer did.
Bourbon and sweet tea, for a hot AF summer day:
Southerners swear by sweet tea (seriously, it's all they drink) because it's always hot AF out and there's nothing more refreshing than sweet tea. If you want to mix bourbon with tea, then black tea is the way to go because it's stronger in flavor than more oxidized teas, like oolong tea.
Oh, and don't forget a couple of teaspoons of sugar so that it tastes more like iced tea than alcoholic beverage, because you can never have enough sugar.
