Big Stick Bourbon can be enjoyed in a wide range of classic bourbon cocktails, sipped over ice, or simply neat.
Old Fashioned
Tasting Notes
This drink earned its name by standing the test of time. Originally crafted in the 1800’s, this refined cocktail allows the flavors of the bourbon to come forth, mixed with the aromatics of orange zest or sweet cherry.
Equipment
Lowball glass
Jigger
Large ice cube
Knife or peeler
Ingredients
0.5 tsp sugar
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
1 tsp water
1.5 oz Big Stick Bourbon
Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
Add the sugar and bitters to a lowball glass, then add the water. Stir until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Fill the glass with a large ice cube, add Big Stick Bourbon, and gently stir to combine. Express the oil of an orange peel over the glass, then drop the peel into the glass for garnish.
Whiskey Sour
Tasting Notes
A timeless, American classic featuring a balance of sweet and sour and highlights the wonderful flavors of good whiskey. It has a silky texture, so it goes down easy and it’s topped with a wonderful meringue.
Equipment
Coupe glass
Shaker
1 jigger
Ice
Ingredients
1.5 oz Big Stick Bourbon
0.75 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
0.5 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz egg white (optional)
Angostura bitters for garnish
Instructions
Add Big Stick Bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white (if using) to a shaker and dry-shake for 30 seconds without ice.
Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
Strain into coupe glass.
Garnish with 3 or 4 drops of Angostura bitters.
Texas Sweet Tea
Tasting Notes
A Southern summer in a glass. This cocktail melds the smooth taste of bourbon, the tartness of black tea with the sweetness of peaches.
Equipment
Highball glass or Mason Jar
1 jigger
Ice
Paring Knife
Ingredients
4.5 oz unsweetened tea
1.5 oz ginger syrup
1.5 oz Big Stick Bourbon
1.5 oz. peach schnapps
juice of 1 small lime
1 fresh peach wedge for garnish
Instructions
Combine iced tea, syrup, Big Stick Bourbon, peach schnapps and lime juice into cocktail shaker and shake to mix. Fill a glass ¾ full w/ice. Pour the iced tea mixture over ice and garnish with peach wedge.
Blackberry Bourbon Smash
Tasting Notes
Think of this drink as a whiskey drinker’s mojito—crisp, refreshing, and bursting with flavor from the muddled fruit and mint. A perfect cocktail for a hot day on a front porch.
Equipment
Lowball glass
1 jigger
Pairing Knife
Muddler
Ice
Ingredients
2 oz Big Stick Bourbon
0.5 oz lime juice
6–7 mint leaves, muddled
2–3 blackberries, muddled
0.75 oz simple syrup
1 oz club soda
Instructions
In a shaker, combine mint leaves, lime wedges and blackberries. Muddle until pulverized. Add bourbon, ice, and simple syrup (or sugar) and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Pour full contents into a lowball glass (no straining) and top with 1 ounce of club soda. Stir and garnish with mint leaves and blackberry.
PAPER PLANE
Tasting Notes
A riff on a drink called the Last Word, this modern bourbon cocktail strikes the perfect balance between bitter, sour and herbal notes. The cocktail’s name is a reference to the M.I.A. track “Paper Planes.”
Equipment
Coupe glass
1 jigger
Ice
Ingredients
1.0 oz Big Stick Bourbon
1.0 oz Aperol
1.0 oz Amaro Nonino
1.0 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
Add the Big Stick Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Avoid over shaking. Strain into a coupe glass.
Gold Rush
Tasting Notes
Simpler on paper than a classic Whiskey Sour, the Gold Rush features honey syrup combined with bourbon and lemon for a more rich and complex flavor that’s perfect in all seasons.
Equipment
Rocks glass
1 jigger
Ice
Shaker
Ingredients
3 oz honey
1 oz warm water
2 oz. Big Stick Bourbon
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz honey syrup
sage leaves for garnish
Instructions
Add the honey and warm water to a sealed container and shake until combined; set aside. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce honey syrup; shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with sage leaves.