5 Cocktails To Make With Costco's Kirkland Signature Bourbon

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Costco's Kirkland Signature bourbon is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that's highly in demand at the bulk warehouse. The store's private label is praised by bourbon drinkers for its affordability, taste quality, and association with the famous, award-winning Barton 1792 distillery, where it's produced by master distillers. If you prefer whiskey cocktails to sipping straight bourbon, you may be pleased to know that the Kirkland's Signature version is often touted as an ideal mixer. And, for those interested in discovering a few of the best bourbon cocktails to make with Costco's house bourbon, you've come to the right place.

Kirkland Signature Bourbon comes in three expressions: small batch, bottled-in-bond, and single barrel. The small batch bourbon is 92 proof (46% alcohol by volume) and is described by Costco as having "notes of oak and rye spice accented by vanilla and caramel." It is the most budget-friendly option (though all three are good-value bourbons) at around $20 for a 1-liter bottle. Kirkland Signature bottled-in-bond bourbon, priced around $25, is 100 proof (50% ABV) and has "subtle notes of candied fruit and honey," according to Costco's website. Finally, the single barrel, priced around $30, is a 120-proof (60% ABV) variety that's generally described as having notes of vanilla and toasted oak with a spicy rye finish. 

The smoothness of Costco's Barton 1792 bourbon, particularly the small batch and bottled-in-bond, makes it a versatile mixer for a variety of spirit-forward, sweet, or citrusy bourbon cocktails. Consider adding these five cocktails to your mixology repertoire. 

The Old Fashioned remains one of the most classic, popular bourbon cocktails. Its spirit-forward quality lets the bourbon shine through without being overpowered by fruit juices or bubbly sodas. This makes it the perfect vehicle for a smooth, pleasant-tasting bourbon from Kirkland's Signature. The essential ingredients of a classic Old Fashioned cocktail recipe are bourbon, bitters, sugar, and water. Once prepared, the drink can be customized with garnishes like orange peel and maraschino cherries. 

There are many derivatives of the Old Fashioned. Some include muddling fruit in the bottom of the glass or incorporating different simple syrups and sweeteners, but the classic version is more about highlighting the caramel, vanilla, and oak flavors of bourbon with a touch of sweetness to reduce some of the bite of the alcohol. Kirkland Signature small batch and bottled-in-bond bourbons are excellent choices for the unfussy flavor profile of this cocktail, while the single barrel may be best suited for those accustomed to the extra heat brought by a high-proof bourbon.

A whiskey cocktail like the Old Fashioned is about as timeless as it gets, whereas the Paper Plane is a reimagining of the Prohibition-era gin cocktail, the Last Word. Esteemed bartender Sam Ross invented the Paper Plane at Chicago's Violet Hour bar in 2008, naming the playful bourbon drink after the chart-topping M.I.A. song released the same year, "Paper Planes." 

The Paper Plane is bright and slightly bitter. It's a spirit-forward libation, often described as a more nuanced whiskey sour. Choosing a smooth, quality bourbon, like one from Kirkland Signature, is a great way to give this sweet, strong shaken cocktail balance. The original Paper Plane recipe calls for equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. Aperol and Amaro Nonino are bittersweet Italian liqueurs that impart a citrusy, botanical flavor, as well as a bright orange color responsible for the Paper Plane's signature sunset hue. It's served chilled, without ice, in a coupe glass, sometimes garnished with a lemon twist, and typically with a tiny paper airplane clipped on the rim for extra whimsy. 

If you gravitate toward a time-honored, stirred cocktail that is both sophisticated and simple, the Manhattan is an obvious choice. It follows the standard ratio of 2:1:1 used in cocktail-mixing: two parts spirit, one part sweetener, and one part bitter or acid. While rye is often considered the traditional style of whiskey for a Manhattan, bourbon is also a popular choice, as it offers a subtly sweeter profile to the drink. The fruity tasting notes of Kirkland Signature's bottled-in-bond bourbon could serve as a nice complement.

A Manhattan cocktail is similar to an Old Fashioned but differs in the type of sweetener used. While simple syrup or sugar is integral to an Old Fashioned, the Manhattan contains sweet vermouth, a fortified wine infused with herbs and spices that give it an earthy complexity and a slightly dry, bitter quality. A classic Manhattan is garnished with a single dark cherry or a lemon twist. If you enjoy a unique garnish in your cocktails, try a copycat Morton's Signature State St. Manhattan cocktail recipe. The famed steakhouse chain's riff is finished with a skewer of orange peel, black cherry, and a thin slice of fried steak.

The Whiskey Smash is a refreshing shaken cocktail often referred to as the citrusy cousin of the Mint Julep(lemon is indeed the key difference between a smash and a julep). Like the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan, early documentation of the Whiskey Smash recipe dates back to the 19th century. The sweet and smooth quality of Kirkland Signature bourbon is well matched to this quintessential summer cocktail, so if you have a bottle or two of the Costco spirit on hand, you may want to give it a try. 

The four ingredients in the Whiskey Smash are bourbon, lemon wedges, mint leaves, and simple syrup. The "smash" refers to the muddling of ingredients in a cocktail shaker that occurs before the bourbon and ice are added. Some recipes call for muddling only the lemon wedges, while others instruct to muddle the lemon and mint in the simple syrup to release more aromatics into the drink. Either way, take care not to over-muddle the mint — only a couple of presses are necessary to avoid overpowering the drink with minty flavor. Serve over ice and garnish with fresh mint sprigs. 

Bourbon and coffee go together like peanut butter and jelly. The vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak tasting notes of the spirit pair perfectly with coffee's nutty, roasted bitterness. For budding mixologists looking for a departure from citrus-tinged, herbal, or fruity bourbon concoctions, the Bourbon Lift is it. The creamy, rich coffee cocktail could be considered the adult version of the egg cream, a carbonated milk drink popularized by the Jewish delis that dotted New York City's Lower East Side in the early to mid-20th century.

Bartender Erik Adkins is credited with creating the Bourbon Lift, which debuted in the 2010s at Hard Water bar in San Francisco. The frothy, coffee-almond cocktail is made from bourbon, coffee liqueur, heavy cream, orgeat (a sweet almond syrup), and club soda. The club soda "lifts" the cream above the edge of the glass, creating its signature foamy head (which is why it is typically served with a straw). To perfect the lift, it helps to pour the club soda over the shaken ingredients from a height of a few inches above the glass. After the initial club soda pour, wait a few seconds, then add another splash to get it to lift above the rim. It's typically served in a Collins glass, a tall and narrow tumbler that helps retain the carbonation.