Ten Bourbons. Five Bourbon Cocktail Recipes. One Glass Raised to Your Good Health!

The AI was told to select bourbons that were (a) widely available, (b) highly rated, and (c) $50 or less but that a regular bourbon drinker probably hadn’t tried. I’m curious how well we did on that last requirement, so if you are a bourbon drinker, let me know how many out of 10 you’ve had before.

Are these any good? No clue! This is why AI cannot replace the human element for something like getting a recommendation from someone whose taste is similar to your own. Yet.

1. Old Bardstown ($20) – A nice, complex bourbon from Willett distillery.
2. Kentucky Vintage ($25) – Matured up to 6 years and bottled at 90 proof. Smooth taste.
3. J.B. Beam ($16) – An overlooked bottled-in-bond from Jim Beam’s descendant Fred Beam.
4. Heaven Hill 6-Year Bottled-in-Bond ($13) – A tasty bonded bourbon for the price.
5. Henry McKenna Single Barrel ($30) – An award winner that’s aged 10 years. Great value for the age.
6. Ezra Brooks 99 Proof ($15) – Punchy, high-proof bourbon that’s quite popular among enthusiasts.
7. Old Scout 107 ($28) – Barrel proof and uncut bourbon from acclaimed distiller MGP.
8. W.L. Weller Special Reserve ($25) – Affordable wheated bourbon from the Buffalo Trace antique collection.
9. Old Medley 12 Year ($45) – A hard-to-find 12 year aged bourbon. Light and complex.
10. 1792 Small Batch ($30) – Rich, balanced bourbon from the Barton 1792 distillery.

Bourbon Cocktails

Because why not? I was already talking to Claude about bourbon. Might as well ask for some recipes.

Old Fashioned

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 sugar cube or 0.5 oz simple syrup
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Orange slice and cherry for garnish
• Place sugar cube in old fashioned glass and soak with bitters. Muddle until dissolved. Add a few ice cubes and bourbon. Stir gently to mix. Garnish with orange slice and cherry. Serve in a rocks glass over ice.

Manhattan

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
• Cherry for garnish
• Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with cherry.

Whiskey Sour

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 oz simple syrup
• Orange slice and cherry for garnish
• Shake bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup vigorously with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with orange slice and cherry.

Mint Julep

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 8-10 mint leaves
• Mint sprig for garnish
• Lightly muddle the mint leaves and simple syrup in a julep cup or Collins glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and add bourbon. Stir gently to mix. Garnish with mint sprig.

Boulevardier

• 1.5 oz bourbon
• 1 oz Campari
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• Orange peel for garnish
• Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a chilled coupe. Express orange peel over drink and use as garnish.

And now, back to the post about Generative AI.