Spirit Thursday: Bourbon

Last Updated on 08/18/2021 by Inside Tailgating

In honor of the No. 3 Louisville Cardinals and their eye-popping 63-20 win over formerly-No. 2 Florida State, Inside Tailgating brings you Kentucky’s finest for it’s Spirit Thursday. No, we don’t mean Louisville’s sophomore quarterback Lamar Jackson, an early Heisman favorite. We’re talking about bourbon. (Did we mention September is National Bourbon Heritage Month? Win-win.)

For a classic bourbon recipe that’s sure to be a hit at any tailgate, we’re going Old-Fashioned. Here’s a classic old-fashioned recipe from Julian Van Winkle of Kentucky’s Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, courtesy of Southern Living.

Julian’s Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 brown sugar cubes
• 2 to 3 drops orange bitters
• 2 to 3 drops Angostura bitters
• 1 fresh orange slice

• 1 1/2 to 2 oz. bourbon
• Ice cubes

Preparation:

Place brown sugar cubes on a cocktail napkin. Sprinkle orange bitters and Angostura bitters over sugar cubes. (Napkin will soak up excess bitters.) Transfer cubes to a 10-oz. old-fashioned glass. Add orange slice and a few drops bourbon to glass. Mash sugar cubes and orange slice, using a muddler, until sugar is almost dissolved. (Avoid mashing the rind; doing so will release a bitter flavor.) Add 1 1/2 to 2 oz. bourbon, and fill glass with ice cubes. Stir until well chilled. Add more bourbon, if desired.