Four Recipes that Mix Magic with Bourbon’s Perfect Pairings

“Bourbon and ginger” in one form or another has been a mainstay since the last century, and surely got a boost when Greta Garbo snarled, “Gimme a whiskey, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy, baby” in the 1930 movie Anna Christie. The snap of ginger melds superbly with the sweet softness of bourbon. This modern adaptation of the pairing by Chall Gray, co-owner of Little Jumbo in Asheville, brings a low-proof, high-impact mix of whiskey and bitters, with the tang of strong ginger to wake you up and get your feet moving.

When it comes to bourbon, tea is a versatile but overlooked mixer. With its astringent, tannic qualities, it can serve as scaffolding for flabbier bourbons, or add another dimension to splashier pours. This Manhattan variation is featured in the upcoming Bourbon Land (Artisan Books), out in April from the noted Louisville chef Edward Lee and a guide to all things bourbon, including some fifty recipes that incorporate the spirit. Stacie Stewart, the general manager and director of cocktails at Lee’s newest restaurant, Nami, crafted this drink, which calls for a flash infusion of Lapsang souchong tea, lending smoky depth and a sort of intrigue found chiefly around campfires.

This French liqueur dates conclusively to 1863, and with less evidence to the sixteenth century. It has a biting, herbal, medicinal quality that can do a swing dance or quadrille with bourbon, depending on other ingredients and your mood. This drink by Paul Calvert of the Ticonderoga Club in Atlanta balances citrus with the herbal elements of amaro and Bénédictine, with the bourbon providing the steady bass drumbeat in the background.

That bacon and bourbon go well together may not come as a surprise. (I mean, what doesn’t go with bacon?) But it may be surprising how easy it is to make bacon-infused bourbon, which adds robustness and gives off a comfort food vibe when combined with maple syrup in this take on the old-fashioned. Bartender Don Lee created this modern classic at PDT, one of the original modern speakeasy bars in New York City, and you’ll now find variations of it on bar menus across the South and beyond. The original recipe called for the super-smoky bacon made by Allan Benton in Madisonville, Tennessee. Substitute your favorite smoked bacon, or better yet, hew to the original and order from Benton by mail.