3 Tips To Mix The Best Bourbon Cocktails Possible

From elegantly stirred drinks to over-the-top fruity concoctions, there's a mixed drink out there for everyone. Bourbon enthusiasts have a myriad of choices, including old-school cocktails like the Manhattan, mint julep, and old fashioned. You could, of course, head out to your favorite bar and order your preferred drink. But if you want to try bartending at home, how do you make the best bourbon cocktails possible? To gain insight into the matter, Mashed spoke with Evan Flynn, bar manager at Death & Co Denver. If the name sounds familiar, it's the Colorado branch of a popular series of cocktail lounges that originated in New York City.

Flynn talked to us about his top tips for mixing bourbon cocktails and even highlighted an item that could feature in your next home bartending adventure. The expert's advice emphasized the importance of simple drinks and using higher-proof products. Moreover, he shared that nicer bourbons should generally be stirred instead of shaken. Let's get into it.

Evan Flynn's top tip for making the best bourbon cocktails is also the easiest one to remember: "For me, many great bourbon cocktails are simple." That means they should not include a ton of ingredients. He's not alone in thinking this. If you look at how Mashed ranked the best bourbon cocktails of all time, you'll notice that many of the ones near the top contain only about three or so different components. Flynn noted that a short ingredient list means "there is very little for your bourbon to hide behind. A good bourbon is a great way to level up these seemingly simple drinks."

Flynn's logic is straightforward. It also implies that If you want to make a simple cocktail, you should know how to pick a good bourbon for that purpose. For instance, aged varieties tend to taste less harsh and more complex, while the proof determines flavor intensity. For folks looking to pair their quality spirit with something nonalcoholic, you could make a basic highball with Coca-Cola. However, there are plenty of bourbon mixers out there that are not Coke. Feel free to experiment with what you like. Just make sure that the flavors pair well together. You could try bitter amaro with sweet bourbon. Or how about ginger beer with some spicy bourbon in the summer? Sounds like heaven in a glass.

The proof is in the proof — the spirit's proof or ABV, that is. If you want to make a more complex cocktail, Evan Flynn says a higher-proof bourbon will "really punch through and showcase its inherent flavor when the drink is mixed." Consider products that are at least 45% ABV (90 proof) for mixing. However, if you go for an option with an even higher concentration of alcohol, Flynn advises that you "give it a taste to make sure it isn't so boisterous that it overshadows any other ingredients."

While the ABV can provide a useful guideline, individual preferences will also play a major role. "The right bourbon is truly a matter of taste," notes Flynn. "The bourbon that may be high-rye that is suitable for one person's palate could be aggressively rich and spiced for another more casual bourbon drinker. On the other hand, someone who enjoys a more rustic and bracing sip might find a high wheat bourbon to be too flat or soft." If you aren't an aficionado,  shop around and try different kinds of bourbon to find what you prefer the most. Perhaps a tasting session at a bourbon distillery is in order.

With apologies to James Bond, some of the best mixed drinks should be stirred rather than shaken. Evan Flynn notes that shaken cocktails "can overtake the nuance of good whiskey," while stirring results in a less-diluted drink. However, if you do enjoy getting a workout in with your cocktail shaker, an option like Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon will shine. Flynn points out that its 47% ABV, flavors of oak and spice, and accessible price point make it a good choice for folks preparing their own cocktails. Even if you are just upgrading your usual bourbon and Coke, a quality product is worth the purchase.

"[G]enerally the production methods of the bottles that are just above the bottom shelf tend to be better vetted and in turn leagues better than the less expensive bottles," said Flynn. However, he also acknowledged that the nuanced flavors of extremely expensive bourbon are probably not best-suited for cocktails: "Most of the time, I shoot for bottles near or below the $40 mark for mixing at home."