17 Best Bourbons For Cooking That Every Chef Needs

Coming up with creative dinner ideas night after night isn't for the faint of heart. You may have tried to mix it up with ingredients, but one surefire way to spice up your meals is to add a splash of bourbon into your next creation. That's the beauty of cooking with bourbon, which happens to be just as versatile as it is delicious. If you're someone that likes to sip on it as well, then you're in luck. Just as you should only cook with wines you'd drink, the same goes for bourbon. Don't grab the cheapest one you can find! Instead, cook with a bourbon that you'd be just as likely to mix into your next Old Fashioned.

This liquor has a serious pedigree, too. Bourbon is nothing less than the spirit that has helped to define America's liquor industry. All bourbons are whisky that must be made from at least 51 percent corn, according to World Whisky Day. There are also rules that govern distillation proof (less than 160) and storage. 

But it's not all rules and regulations when it comes to cooking with bourbon. Draw on your creativity, as you can use bourbon in almost everything, from your main course to dessert. Here are some of the best bourbons you can use when cooking time draws near.

When cooking with bourbon there are a few important things to consider. First, with such distinct flavors in the mix, sometimes less is more, so have a light hand. Just a splash of bourbon adds a surprising amount of depth and flavor!

Cooper's Craft could be just that spirit. FIrst, it sources its own toasted and charred barrels, as per its website. This gives the bourbon (and your next meal) a deep, rich flavor. 

In particular, Coopers' Craft Original 82.2 proof has a lightly toasted aroma along with a hint of sweetness. If you were to take a sip of this, you'd notice notes of fruit, oak, and spice. Josh Wiese of Coopers' Craft told StyleBlueprint that it's the beech and birch charcoal that adds those unforgettable notes to your dish. Because this is more spice and fruit-heavy than some other bourbons, Cooper's Craft works well to bring a unique brightness to marinades and glazes.

If you were expecting Coopers' Craft to be a small-batch, family-owned distillery, you're in for a surprise. As Distillery Trail reports, it's actually owned by Brown-Forman, the powerhouse company behind Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, and plenty of other well-known spirits. But don't let that stop you from trying Coopers' Craft's 100 Proof Kentucky Straight bourbon in your next recipe.

That's because this is not just any bourbon. Coopers' Craft explains that the bourbon has been aged in barrels that have grooves cut into them, which allows the spirit to have more contact with the wood as it matures. The result is a wonder. As The Bourbon Culture reports, the final bourbon a lovely mix of banana and vanilla bean aromas, followed up by notes of sweet raisin and oak. The bourbon is a great accompaniment to savory dishes, perhaps as a soy and bourbon glaze. Add some brown sugar to make a mouth-watering sauce for your next pork roast.

High-proof bourbons like this are great for catching a flame, so you can potentially flambé some bananas with it to really bring out the caramelized flavors in the fruit. Of course, you can't go wrong with stirring this into a sauce, too.

This bourbon is named after the scientist who helped to craft whiskey production into what it is today, explains Beam Distilling, the company behind Old Crow. It's aged for three years and contains cork, rye, and malted barley. Perhaps the most appealing part of this bourbon is that you can pick up a bottle for around $10. In the bottle are notes of vanilla and apples, while you might even pick up on some hints of honey. As Breaking Bourbon reports, those same flavors carry over to the palate, with scents of clove and other baking spices.

As a drinking bourbon, Old Crow leaves something to be desired. It's not that it's horrible, but we think that it needs more intensity. Yet this subtlety is exactly what makes it the perfect bourbon to keep on hand in the kitchen. This will definitely add a kick to your next batch of meatballs or glazed steak.

For those looking to spend slightly more on a cooking bourbon, look no further than New Riff. This Kentucky Straight Bourbon will run you approximately $40 a bottle but the flavor payoff in your next dish makes the price point more than worth it. As Whiskey Raiders points out, this bourbon can work well as an ingredient. It's 100 proof, so it will catch a flame if you're bold enough to try a flambé. If your pan is hot enough, the bourbon will quickly catch fire and then burn off.

The corn-infused aroma of this bourbon is slightly sweet but the pepper and oak notes ensure this liquor doesn't lean too much towards the dessert side of things. If you've been dreaming up a salty and sweet sauce for your next BBQ then you can try this New Riff bourbon, maybe in a slightly decadent bacon bourbon barbecue sauce. You can thank us later.

Old Forester 86 is another bourbon brand under the Brown-Forman umbrella. Just one sip of Old Forester 86 makes it abundantly clear that they know how to craft a great spirit. So, while you can use Old Forester as the driving force behind your next Old Fashioned cocktail, this bourbon goes far beyond drinks. At around $20 per bottle, this bourbon has unbeatable layers. There's caramel, banana, candied ginger, oak, vanilla, dried fruit, and that coveted smokiness, reports The Whiskey Shelf. This is a bright, well-balanced bourbon that comes more sweetness than savory notes.

Try this as the boozy component of orange and bourbon glazed chicken breasts to wow dinner guests, where the bourbon's smoky, oaky notes will complement the citrus. It can also help tenderize the chicken itself. It's easy enough to throw such a glaze together in minutes, yet complex enough to wow your most serious foodie friends.

It's quite common to find entry-level bourbons that are aged for 3-4 years. But Buffalo Trace bourbon ups the ante with an aging period of at least 8 years. That imparts an intense oaky character to this bourbon, making it the dream accompaniment to your next BBQ. Pour a little into your cocktails, then pour some into a quick marinade for steaks, burgers, and chicken wings before they go onto the grill.

This may not be the most complex bourbon, Liquor.com notes, but what Buffalo Trace lacks in twists and turns, it makes up for in sheer flavor and value. Imbibers will detect sweet notes such as butterscotch and toffee, along with some baking spices that help to highlight the savory notes like black pepper. But the char is the main player here, a flavor that will accentuate any meat and bring the sizzle to your next barbecue.

According to Whiskey.Rocks, Heaven Hill, in operation since 1935, has the world's second-largest inventory of bourbon. Classic Kentucky bourbon is definitely Heaven Hill's forté, which is made all the clearer when you crack open a bottle of the brand's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The liquor inside has slight floral aromas, along with some sweeter notes of caramel. On the palate, this bourbon isn't too aggressive, but is just the right level of smooth subtlety. Don't expect to be knocked over the head with flavor or intensity. These characteristics make it the ideal bourbon to add to your next meal. And its hallmark bourbon notes of caramel would go well with a glaze of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, perhaps drizzled over some succulent, tender brisket. Or, you can take Heaven Hill's own recommendation and try this in a whiskey cake with a coconut and bourbon topping!

Basil Hayden Bourbon seems to have audiences torn. Malt Review wasn't exactly a fan of this spirit, calling its subtle taste a "disappointment." But Liquor.com refers to this as an "easy-drinking bourbon" that works great in Old Fashioneds and other classic cocktails. 

We admit that this is another bourbon that won't knock your socks off, but when you consider that it's smooth and perfectly balanced, that ups the intrigue a bit more. We especially like this as the boozy component of a bourbon whipped cream. It doesn't dominate the cream and instead provides lovely vanilla notes.

If you're able to spend slightly more on a bourbon, then you can't go wrong with keeping a bottle of this in your pantry. It also doesn't have the longest finish, which means the flavor is enjoyed by your taste buds but doesn't linger on the palate. This means you can appease both lovers and more lukewarm fans of bourbon with this middle-of-the-road option.