This post is sponsored by Oak & Eden Whiskey.
In this house, we love our bourbon. A lot of our friends do too, which certainly simplifies how we stock our bar when we host parties – however we also have a few friends who associate whiskey with low-tiered brands like Jack Daniels and typically won’t opt for it in a cocktail.
Today, we’re teeing up four bubbly bourbon cocktails that will appease everyone, from those who aren’t big on whiskey to those who prefer a spirit-forward bourbon cocktail.
A “Hint of Bourbon” Champagne Sparkler
If your guests aren’t quite ready to dive “all in” on bourbon, let them sample the spirit in a jazzed-up glass of bubbly. Drop a single (or two) vanilla bourbon cocktail cherry into a champagne flute, then top with bubbles. A Prosecco, which is a touch sweeter than a dry cava or champagne, pairs perfectly with the vanilla bourbon-soaked cherries, melding the sweetness with a little heat and a little added burst of flavor from the retained bourbon.
Spiked Champagne Cocktail
This drink is French 75-meets-classic champagne cocktail. Put an Angostura-soaked sugar cube at the bottom of a glass, add a shot of Wheat & Spire and dash of the juice from your vanilla bourbon cocktail cherries. Top with champagne and watch the drink transform as the Angostura sugar cube dissolves.
Wheat & Spire has a beautiful mellow creaminess with virtually no bite on the finish, which is why it’s a favorite here. Use a dry cava since you’ll get plenty of extra sweet from the sugar cube.
Vanilla Cherry Bourbon Smash
The bourbon smash is Old Fashioned-meets-Mojito – minus the mint. Muddle fresh or thawed frozen cherries in the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass. Add 1 tbsp of vanilla simple syrup (leftover from your bourbon cherries) and a shot of Bourbon & Spire. Add ice and top with soda water. Stir lightly and enjoy!
Vanilla Old Fashioned
This one isn’t bubbly, but it’s sure to please any whisky lover. Homemade cocktail cherries and vanilla simple syrup at a festive winter flair to this forever favorite spirt-forward drink. Put a cocktail cherry in the bottom of the glass, two teaspoons of vanilla simple syrup, and two dashes of Angostora bitters in a glass. Add a shot of Bourbon & Spire and ice cups, then stir lightly. Garnish with an orange peel.