Howdy, and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall. Here to help you learn how to make great cocktails at home. In the last few days, I have been seeing more and more posts about people’s favorite cocktails for the fall or just to make at home. This got me to thinking about what my list of top 5 cocktails would be I enjoy making at home to enjoy with friends or just sitting around watching the game.
Top 5 Cocktails:
Whiskey Sour
This cocktail is simple and easy to make. This cocktail calls for three essential ingredients: Bourbon, Sour Mix, and Egg Whites. You can use whatever sour mix you like, but I will give you the recipe that I use below.
- 2 oz Bourbon
- Sour Mix
- Egg White from one small egg
- Luxardo cherry for garnish
Add your bourbon, sour mix, and egg white to a tin filled with ice. Now, you will learn how much sour mix to use as you make this drink more and more. You want enough to mix the drink and fill your old-fashioned glass to the top.
Shake the drink for 8 – 10 seconds. Some people say you should dry shake first, but I have always combined everything, and the drink comes out with a nice froth on top of it when you pour it over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a luxardo cherry.
This is a refreshing drink with a bit of pucker punch from the sour mix. I use a good 100-proof bourbon for this drink, but you can use any whiskey that you enjoy.
Old Fashioned
This is the top of my list of cocktails I enjoy and make for others. It is a little bit of work to make a really good old-fashioned, but, so worth the work. This cocktail I am making here is a Wisconsin twist on the classic old-fashioned. I enjoy the classic old-fashioned with a good steak or fancy dinner, but, the Wisconsin old-fashioned is great on a Friday with your fish fry. Why I have dubbed it OFF… Old Fashioned Fridays.
- 2 oz Bourbon
- Luxardo Cherry and Juice
- Orange Slice
- Sugar Cube
- Angostura Bitters
- Mix
- Ice
You start making this drink in your old-fashioned glass. Place the Luxardo Cherry, Orange Slice, sugar cube, bitters, and a splash of mix in your glass. Muddle everything together, then add your ice and your bourbon, then top off with a bit more mix. Garnish with two Luxardo cherries, and enjoy.
The mix can be sweet (7-up), sour (Sour Mix or Squirt), or Club Soda. I enjoy sweet the best, and then the second best is the sour with my sour mix. This way of making the old-fashioned is rarely found outside of Wisconsin. It does not have a strong alcohol taste; you can have a few of them with your fish fry and be happy.
Jalapeno Margarita
The Jalapeno Margarita is a great way to enjoy a margarita for those who like a little spicy kick. To create this cocktail, you will have to do a bit of preparation to make it perfect. For the preparation, take a mason jar filled with your favorite tequila, cut up one or two jalapenos, and add to the jar for 24-48 hours. This can be done ahead of time and even in a full bottle of tequila if you would like.
- 2 oz Jalapeno Tequila
- 1 oz Orange Liqueur
- .75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- .25 oz simple syrup (optional)
- Lime wedge and slices of jalapeno for garnish
Place the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrup in a tin with ice. Shake for a good 10 seconds and then strain over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lime wedge, and throw a couple of jalapeno slices into the drink. I don’t salt the glass but feel free if you would like to.
This drink has plenty of kick depending on the jalapenos and is one of my go-to during a taco Tuesday at home.
The Godfather Cocktail
This is a super simple cocktail that needs to be shaken, but if you want to, you can also stir this drink in the glass and stir it well. You may not get as much dilution from the ice as shaking does, but it is quick and easy to stir the cocktail. This drink became very popular in the 1970s when cocktails were strong and sweet. It is also believed to be named after the movie The Godfather, which premiered in 1972.
I use a 2:1 ratio of bourbon to amaretto for this cocktail, but you can choose to lessen the amaretto to bring the sweetness down. Like a 2:.5 ratio or even a 3:1 ratio.
- 2 oz Bourbon (I used 100 proof)
- 1 oz Amaretto
Place the bourbon and amaretto into a tin filled with your ice. Shake for about 8 seconds, then strain over a large cube in an old-fashioned glass.
It is a simple two-ingredient drink that is a bit sweet but very enjoyable and lets the spirit take center stage of the cocktail. Mix this one up and enjoy
Kentucky Colonel
This last drink everyone may not have the Benedictine, but it is a great simple two-ingredient drink. I enjoyed this one during the day of The Kentucky Derby. This cocktail is mainly bourbon, so you will want to be able to enjoy our bourbon, which I do very much.
- 2 oz Bourbon (Woodford Reserve)
- .75 oz Benedictine
Fill a mixing glass with ice and add your bourbon and Benedictine. Stir in a glass for about 10 seconds. Take a cocktail glass that has been chilled and strain the cocktail into the glass. No garnish for this one.
Benedictine is an herbal liqueur that brings a sweeter note to the cocktail. There are a lot of fall-type flavors in the Benedictine.
This is a sipper type of drink enjoy.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you find my top 5 cocktails worthwhile and tasty and something you may add to your favorite cocktails to make at home.
Junior
