How to Drink Bourbon: Neat, on the Rocks or With Water

Five Ways to Drink Bourbon

Every method suits a different mood or bottle. Try a new bourbon in a few of these ways and see which brings out what you like most.

• Neat. Poured at room temperature with nothing added. This is the best way to taste a bourbon honestly, because you get the full aroma and flavour as the distiller intended.
• With a few drops of water. A little water, a teaspoon or less, softens the alcohol bite and often opens up the aroma. It is especially useful for higher-proof bottles. Add it a drop at a time and taste in between.
• On the rocks. Use one large cube or sphere rather than a handful of small cubes. Large ice melts slowly, so the bourbon chills and dilutes gently. Cold can mute some sweetness and aroma, but many people enjoy the softer, smoother result, particularly on warm days.
• In a highball. Mix about 1.5 ounces of bourbon with ginger ale or soda over ice for a long, refreshing drink.
• In a cocktail. An Old Fashioned, Manhattan or whiskey sour turns bourbon into a classic mixed drink. See our guide to the best whiskey for an Old Fashioned.

How Proof Changes the Way You Drink It

Bourbon is bottled at very different strengths, and strength affects how you should serve it:

For a sense of the range, Buffalo Trace Bourbon is bottled at 45%, while Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is bottled at 66.2%. The second is far more intense, which is why it benefits from water.

What Does Bourbon Taste Like?

Bourbon is made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak, so it tends to taste sweet and warming. Common flavours include vanilla, caramel, toffee, brown sugar and baking spice, with toasted oak and sometimes orange peel, honey or dried fruit. Higher-rye bourbons add a peppery, spicy edge. If you want to understand why, our guide to bourbon vs whiskey explains how the legal rules shape the flavour.

The Best Glass for Sipping Bourbon

• Tulip or Glencairn glass for neat sipping. The narrow top concentrates the aroma and makes tasting easier.
• Rocks glass (also called an Old Fashioned glass) for ice and cocktails. It has room for a large cube.

Any clean glass will do to begin with. Just avoid anything with a strong smell, such as a glass washed with scented soap.

How to Taste Bourbon Step by Step

1. Look. Hold the glass to the light. Colour comes from the barrel and says something about age and wood, but it does not predict flavour.
2. Smell. Bring the glass to your nose with your mouth slightly open, so the alcohol does not overwhelm the aroma. Take two or three short sniffs.
3. Sip. Take a small mouthful and let it coat your tongue before swallowing.
4. Notice the finish. Pay attention to what lingers afterwards: sweetness, spice, oak or warmth.
5. Add water and repeat. A few drops often reveal new flavours.

Bourbon and Food Pairings

• Smoked and grilled meats: bourbon’s sweetness balances smoke and char, which is why it is so popular with barbecue.
• Dark chocolate: the caramel and vanilla in bourbon echo the cocoa.
• Pecan pie and caramel desserts: matching sweet with sweet works well.
• Aged cheddar and nuts: a savoury counterpoint that brings out the oak.

How Much Is One Serving?

In the United States, one standard drink of spirits is 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof (40% ABV) liquor, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Bourbon is often bottled at higher strengths, so a pour of a barrel-proof bourbon contains more alcohol than the same pour of an 80-proof bottle. Drink slowly, have water alongside, and never drink and drive. You must be 21 or older to purchase from Caskworth.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too much ice. A glass full of small cubes melts fast and waters the bourbon down. Use one large cube.
• Serving it ice cold. Very low temperatures mute aroma and flavour. If you like it cold, accept that you will taste less.
• Rushing. The first sip is often dominated by alcohol. Give it a minute, then taste again.
• Judging by one sip. Try a bourbon neat, with water and on ice before deciding.
• Storing it badly. Heat and sunlight spoil an open bottle over time. Our guide to storing whiskey at home explains how to keep it in good condition.

Neat or on the Rocks? A Quick Decision Guide

• Tasting a new bottle: neat, then with a few drops of water.
• A hot day or a long evening: one large cube.
• A very high-proof bourbon: small pours, with water added gradually.
• Entertaining guests: offer ice and ginger ale, and let them choose.

Serving Temperature and Letting Bourbon Open Up

Bourbon is best served at cool room temperature, roughly 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so the aromas are clear without the alcohol feeling too sharp. If your bottle has been in a warm room, a single large ice cube will take the edge off. Once you have poured, let the glass sit for a minute or two and give it a gentle swirl rather than a hard shake. Many bourbons show more caramel and spice after a short rest, and you will notice more of the sweetness and less of the heat.

Which Bourbon to Start With

Pick a bottle that is smooth, balanced and easy to enjoy in more than one way:

• Buffalo Trace Bourbon (from $28.99): toffee and vanilla, excellent neat or on the rocks.
• Maker’s Mark 46 (from $39.99): vanilla custard and caramel with a spiced finish.
• Elijah Craig Small Batch (from $34.99): vanilla, caramel and charred oak.
• Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (from $49.99): rich dark chocolate and honey for slow sipping.

When you are ready for something stronger, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is bottled at full cask strength, so add water gradually. Our cask strength vs barrel proof guide explains what that means, and how to store whiskey at home will help you keep an open bottle in good shape.

Two Bourbon Cocktails to Try Once You Are Comfortable Sipping

Old Fashioned

Ingredients: 2 oz bourbon, 1 sugar cube or ¼ oz simple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, orange peel.
Method: Stir the sugar and bitters with a splash of water, add the bourbon and a large ice cube, and stir until cold. Express an orange peel over the glass.

Whiskey Sour

Ingredients: 2 oz bourbon, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ¾ oz simple syrup, optional egg white.
Method: Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. If using egg white, shake once without ice first.

Our best whiskey for an Old Fashioned guide picks bottles for the first of these.

Build a Bourbon Tasting Flight at Home

Tasting bourbons side by side is the quickest way to learn what you like. Choose three bottles that differ in style:

• A standard-proof classic: Buffalo Trace Bourbon.
• A wheated bourbon: Maker’s Mark 46, which is softer and rounder.
• A barrel-proof bourbon: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, for a more powerful comparison.

Pour half an ounce of each into matching glasses, taste from lightest to strongest, and rinse your mouth with water in between. Write down what you notice, because it is surprising how quickly your preferences become clear. For help understanding the differences between styles, see bourbon vs whiskey and single barrel vs small batch bourbon.