Drinks that sing with bourbon and tequila

Whiskey a go-go

Bulleit Rye Bourbon, styling itself as the Frontier Whiskey, has won a lot of awards for its distinctive, high-rye flavor. Nowadays they go around in their high-profile Woody Wagon and invite people to try their cocktails, complete with smoky fire pit and tasty bites.

This rye whiskey is great drunk neat, but if straight bourbon’s not your bag, try it in one of these cocktails:

BLT
1.3 oz Bulleit Rye Bourbon
4 oz tonic water
Lemon wedge
Pour bourbon and tonic over ice in a rocks glass, squeeze the lemon into it, stir, and garnish with another wedge. Refreshing.

Windy City Julep (Recipe by Chicago Bartender Adam Seger)
1.33 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
6 oz. chilled Chicago Green River Pre-Prohibition Soda
Generous bouquet of slapped fresh mint
Fill a julep cup with ice cubes to chill. Fill a clean towel with ice and smash the crap out of it to crush the ice. Discard the ice cubes from the cup and fill with the crushed ice. Fill cup 3/4 full with Chilled Chicago Green River Pre-Prohibition Soda. Top with Bulleit Bourbon and a generous bouquet of slapped [Note: slapped means pressed gently to release the oils, never muddle them) mint.  The carbonation will naturally rise since the bourbon is heavier and the drink will naturally mix. Cut your straw short so you smell the mint. Optional: add a splash of maple syrup if you like a sweeter julep.

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Tequila for spring (or summer) fever 

1800 Tequila comes in regular and Silver editions and a new Coconut version. If, like me, you’ve not been a fan of tequila before, these may make a believer out of you. Try the recipes below and see if you don’t feel a little spark of joy—remember, fresh juice (lime, in particular) is the secret to most good tequila drinks. I even like a simple cocktail of tequila (coconut-flavored works here, too) with lemon-lime soda and fresh lime juice. Check out 3 refreshing tequila recipes.