4 Cocktail Recipes with this ingredient.
The Old Fashioned is the original cocktail — a disciplined marriage of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters that dates to the early 19th century. When made right with a quality bourbon or rye, it's arguably the greatest drink ever conceived. The key is balance: enough sweetness to integrate, enough bitters to add complexity, and good ice to dilute slowly. Use Knob Creek, Elijah Craig, or Rittenhouse Rye for best results.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler rehabilitated the maligned Amaretto Sour in 2012 by adding a small amount of cask-strength bourbon and egg white. The bourbon provides dryness and backbone that balances the sweetness of amaretto; the egg white gives it a gorgeous texture and foam. This version uses Amaro Averna as a richer, more complex base. Use Wild Turkey 101 for the bourbon — the high proof holds up.
The Whiskey Sour is one of the great sour cocktails, and adding an egg white transforms it into something exceptional — the foam provides a silky, luscious mouthfeel that softens the citrus edge and makes every sip feel complete. Use bourbon for a sweeter, fuller profile, or rye for a drier, spicier result. The dry shake technique (without ice first) is essential for building proper foam. Angostura bitters on the foam is traditional.
Invented by Sam Ross at Milk & Honey in New York City around 2007, the Paper Plane is a modern classic built entirely on equal parts — bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and fresh lemon juice. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but the interplay between the sweetness of bourbon, the bitter orange of Aperol, the herbal complexity of Nonino, and the citrus lift of lemon is absolutely masterful. Use Bulleit or Wild Turkey 101.