The Kentucky Mule
Wild Turkey 101, ginger beer, and lime. The Kentucky Mule swaps vodka for bourbon and makes the Moscow Mule considerably more interesting.
Bourbon Slush
The bourbon slush is the Southern summer party drink — make it the night before, scoop it into glasses, and take all the credit.
Bourbon Lemonade
Buffalo Trace bourbon and fresh lemonade. The easiest crowd-pleaser in the book — make a pitcher and call it a day.
The Horse’s Neck
Buffalo Trace, ginger beer, and a long lemon peel spiral — one of the most elegant and overlooked long drinks in American cocktail history.
Lynchburg Lemonade
Jack Daniel’s, triple sec, fresh lemon, and lemon-lime soda. A Huntsville, Alabama original with a surprisingly interesting backstory.
The Whiskey Collins
The Tom Collins went to Kentucky — Evan Williams Single Barrel, fresh lemon, and club soda. A refreshing long drink built for early summer.
The Mint Julep
The official drink of the Kentucky Derby since 1938 — Maker’s Mark bourbon, fresh mint, and crushed ice. Derby week or any other week.
The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush is a modern classic — bourbon, honey syrup, and fresh lemon, invented at Milk and Honey in New York around 2000. Woodford Reserve makes it sing.
The Whiskey Sour
The benchmark cocktail — made right with Rittenhouse Rye, fresh lemon, and a proper dry shake. Get this one down and you understand how cocktails work.
The New York Sour
A whiskey sour with a red wine float that changes the drink from sip to sip. Built on Elijah Craig Small Batch — three layers, three different experiences, one glass.
The Brown Derby
A 1930s Hollywood classic that never got the credit it deserved — Buffalo Trace bourbon, fresh grapefruit, and honey syrup. Three ingredients, perfectly balanced.
The Whiskey Smash
A bright, minty Whiskey Smash built on Evan Williams Black Label — fresh lemon, crushed ice, and a little history from 1887. Spring’s opening act.