Ordering a bourbon cocktail at a bar generally goes one of two ways. Either you’ll order a standard drink and it’ll be made with the house bourbon and that’ll be that. Or, you’ll order off the cocktail menu and find a special, high-end, or top-shelf bourbon that the bar chef has decided works perfectly in that particular cocktail. Even then, it’s not always as simple as “Eagle Rare works for everything” either (no matter how much the good people at Buffalo Trace want that to be true).
We think there’s a good middle ground here. The key to getting the drink you want is knowing which top-shelf bourbons to put in your standard cocktails. A lot of this comes down to what you know you like. But you have to get there first and that’s where we come in to offer a guiding light.
To find out which “top shelf” bourbons are being used in cocktails, we asked a handful of our favorite bartenders to tell us the slightly more expensive (and a lot more expensive) bourbons they’re using. Hopefully, this will help you make a more informed decision the next time you’re in a bar and faced with a wall of bourbon bottles.
Eagle Rare 10
Kevin Smith, food and beverage manager at The Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg, Florida
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $48
Why This Bourbon?
Eagle Rare is my go-to bourbon for top-shelf cocktails. It’s a complex bourbon with an herbal aroma and a velvety smooth bold taste. Plus, it has hints of vanilla, caramel, and almond that add a sweet lingering finish to a classic bourbon cocktail.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Eric Cohen, lead bartender The Kimpton Sawyer in Sacramento, California
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $68
Why This Bourbon?
One of my favorites is Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon. Like regular Woodford Reserve, it is very smooth and super flavorful but has just a bit more. Flavors of vanilla, oak, and cinnamon make it one of my favorite top-shelf bourbons.
Weller 12
Alejandro Mendoza, restaurant and bar manager at Hotel SLO in San Luis Obispo, California
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $230
Why This Bourbon?
I don’t mix drinks with my top shelf unless the guest calls for it. But I love my Weller Line up. Weller 12 Year has a soft creamy start with a nice hint of oak and sweet spices, then finishes off with a long bite that keeps me wanting more.
Laws Cognac Finished Four Grain
Matty Carroll, beverage director at The Kitchen Restaurant Group in Boulder, Colorado
ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $60
Why This Bourbon?
If a guest wants to go beyond the basics for their bourbon cocktail, I’ll usually recommend something local. Law’s Cognac Finished Bourbon is excellent. Distilled in Denver, it’s spicy and powerful but softened with rich dried fruits, toasted oak, vanilla, and burnt citrus. Put it in an old fashioned and you’ll be sitting pretty.
Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch
Josh Curtis, bar director at Malibu Beach Inn in Malibu, California
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $120
Why This Bourbon?
Colonel E.H. Taylor is one of the smoothest bourbons around without being too sweet and heads toward subtle spices. Obviously, you’d choose to drink this whiskey neat or on the rocks, but it can stand up well in any cocktail.
Basil Hayden
Christopher Devern, lead bartender of Red Owl Tavern in Philadelphia
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $45
Why This Bourbon?
This is a bourbon that you can mix into a Manhattan or old fashioned and enjoy without feeling like you “ruined” a well-produced bourbon.
Woodford Reserve
Emily Lawson, bartender and founder of Pink House Alchemy in Fayetteville, Arkansas
ABV: 43.2%
Average Price: $40
Why This Bourbon?
Woodford Reserve is known for its special craft of 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley to create a flavorful bourbon. It’s impeccably smooth while still showcasing the earthy, smoky oak barrel flavor elements. We love using it to create a smoky Manhattan made with Pink House Alchemy’s smoldered bitters.
Angel’s Envy
Heather Buelna, lead bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay in San Diego
ABV: 43.3%
Average Price: $55
Why This Bourbon?
Bourbon, like Scotch whisky, has such a range of flavors and textures, and introducing people to different profiles is one of my favorite things to do. Depending on the person and the cocktail request, I love sending people to brands like Angel’s Envy as higher-tier options. It represents a slightly more sophisticated profile of vanilla, spice, and sweetness that can really make a cocktail sing, especially Angel’s Envy with its sweetness thanks to its port cask maturation.
