If you want to know why Bourbon is capitalized, it’s because it’s a proper name—a county in Kentucky that was named for a very proper family, the Bourbons, once one of the most important ruling dynasties in Europe. (Bourbon vanilla is named for them, too.)

So pick your cocktail, get out the cocktail shaker and the Bourbon, and start mixing!

Below:

> The Manhattan cocktail recipe.

> The Mint Julep cocktail recipe.

> The Old Fashioned cocktail recipe.

> The Whiskey Sour cocktail recipe.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of Bourbon.

> The different types of whiskey.

> The year’s 49 cocktail holidays.

> The year’s 25+ whiskey holidays.
 
 
THE BIG FOUR CLASSIC BOURBON COCKTAILS

In alphabetical order:
 
 
1. THE MANHATTAN

The Manhattan is named after the Manhattan Club in New York City, where it was invented sometime in the mid-1870s (photo # 1).

“Popular history” suggests that the drink was invented by Iain Marshall for a banquet hosted by Jennie Jerome, Lady Randolph Churchill, the mother of Winston Churchill. The occasion was in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden, the 25th governor of New York and Democratic candidate for president in the disputed 1876 U.S. presidential election* against Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes.

The success of the banquet made the drink fashionable, subsequently prompting people to request the drink by referring to the name of the club where it originated, i.e., “the Manhattan cocktail.”

However, the story may well be apocryphal. Some sources place Lady Randolph in France at the time [source].

Still, a great drink deserves at least a good story.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MIX the bourbon, vermouth, and bitters with ice in a mixing glass and stir to combine.

2. STRAIN and pour into a chilled coupe or Martini glass.
 
 
2. THE MINT JULEP

You don’t need a silver julep cup to enjoy a Mint Julep. A rocks glass will do (photo #2).

Similarly, while it’s the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, it’s the semi-official summer drink in our house. Here’s the history of the Mint Julep.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the Bourbon, mint leaves, ice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker and shake.

2. FILL the glass halfway with crushed ice. Then strain the cocktail over the ice and top with more ice. (See, it’s great for summer!)

3. GARNISH with mint sprigs and serve with a straw.
 
 
3. THE OLD FASHIONED

The first published recipe dates back to 1806, making the Old Fashioned one of the oldest known cocktails (photo #3).

TIP: Take the orange peel garnish and rub it around the rim of the glass, releasing the aroma and flavor in the peel.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. RUB a piece of peel around the rim of the glass (optional).

2. COMBINE all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir.

3. STRAIN into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a twist of orange peel.
 
 
4. THE WHISKEY SOUR

The Whiskey Sour is another oldie, published in Jerry Thomas’ seminal 1862 book, The Bartender’s Guide (photo #4).

Although the egg white is optional for a Whiskey Sour, it adds body and creaminess (photo #5). If you’re concerned about consuming raw egg white, buy pasteurized eggs like Safe Eggs.

If you do use the egg white, you’ll create a foamy head, but can still add the two garnishes. The cherry is always a nice touch, especially if it’s an “adult” maraschino cherry like Luxardo (photo #6) or Tillen Farms.

> Here’s the history of the Whiskey Sour.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously.

2. STRAIN into a chilled glass, garnish and serve.

[1] The Manhattan, one of the oldest cocktails, dates to the 1880s (photo © The Mercury | Atlanta [now closed]).

[2] The Mint Julep cocktail first appeared in print in 1803. You don’t need julep cups to serve a Mint Julep (photo © Distilled NY).

[3] The Old Fashioned recipe first appeared in 1806, making it the oldest of these oldies (photo © Angus Club Steakhouse [now closed].

[4] A recipe for a Whiskey Sour was published in Jerry Thomas’ seminal 1862 book, The Bartender’s Guide (photo © Lognetic | Fotolia).

*Tilden was the second presidential candidate to lose the election despite winning the popular vote. To date, five presidents won the election despite losing the popular vote: John Quincey Adams (1824), Rutherford B. Hayes (1876), Benjamin Harrison (1888), George W. Bush (2000), and Donald Trump (2016). Here’s more about it.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] A Margherita pizza. The ingredients: just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil (photos #1 and #3 © DeLallo).

[2] Margherita of Savoy, who became Queen of Italy upon the succession of her husband, Umberto, Prince of Piedmont, on January 9, 1878 (engraving by Alberto Maso Gilli | Wikipedia).

[3] Buy a pizza dough kit like this one from DeLallo, a mound of fresh pizza dough, or a ready-to-bake pizza crust.

[4] It’s the fresh basil that makes the difference (photo CCO Public Domain).

June 11th is National Margherita Pizza Day. As the story goes, Queen Margherita of Italy (1851-1926, queen from 1878) was visiting Naples.

She asked a prominent pizzaiolo (peet-sa-YO-lo, a pizza maker), Don Raffaele to make her a special pizza.

Today we may not think his creation was so special: It was just tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil. The colors, red, white, and green, happen to be the colors of the Italian flag.

That’s how what we’d call a plain pie with some fresh basil was named in the queen’s honor: the “Margherita Pizza.”

> The history of pizza.

> All of the pizza holidays are below.
 
 
RECIPE: MARGHERITA PIZZA

Ingredients

 
Preparation

If you have purchased pizza dough or a ready-to-bake crust, skip to Step 3.

1. COMBINE THE flour mix and yeast packet of the pizza dough kit in a large mixing bowl with the water. Stir with a fork until the dough begins to form.

2. KNEAD by hand for 3 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.

Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (After this step, you can refrigerate for use within 1-3 days.)

3. PREHEAT the oven to 450˚F. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Form the pizza by hand on a lightly oiled baking pan or pizza stone.

4. BRUSH each crust with olive oil. Then, divide the toppings and top with San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella slices. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

5. BAKE for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and toppings are browned. Serve topped with fresh basil leaves.
 
 
THE YEAR IN PIZZA HOLIDAYS

Whether you get a takeout pizza, go to a restaurant, or make your own, mark your calendars for:

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

If you need a gift for a whiskey lover, here’s an artisan Bourbon of note: Peg Leg Porker Bourbon, a brand created and owned by a pitmaster Carey Bringle, oft nominated for titles of “The Best BBQ.”

Peg Leg Porker Bourbon is the signature bourbon of an award-winning pitmaster, Nashville’s Carey Bringle. He is a lover of Bourbon and knows how well it pairs with barbecue.

He bottles it under the name of his restaurant‡. A few words about the resto:

Opened in 2013, the restaurant has been named one of the hottest barbecue places in the country by media outlets including BBC, Food Network, Garden and Gun Magazine, GQ, Southern Living Magazine, Texas Monthly, The Travel Channel, and many more.

The barbecue is known for its juicy, smoked to perfection pork ribs drenched with a spicy dry seasoning after being smoked. Playful sides like Kool-Aid pickles and pork rind nachos add to the experience.

As does the Bourbon!

Peg Leg Porker 8 Year Old (photo #2) was first released in 2015 and quickly gained popularity across its home state of Tennessee. It was awarded the prestigious Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in the first year of its release.

Peg Leg Porker 12 Year Old (photo #3) was released in 2017 and quickly garnered an almost cult-like following. It was awarded the prestigious Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and quickly sold out.

Let’s take a look at this award-winning line of Bourbons, which are filtered through hickory charcoal.

> The history of Bourbon is below.

> THe different types of whiskey.

> The different expressions of Peg Leg Porker Bourbon are below. But first…
 
 
WHAT IS BOURBON?

Bourbon is an American whiskey made with at least 51% maize (corn) and/or rye, distilled twice in a continuous still and barrel-aged.

There are three main styles of Bourbon:

 
Closely related is:

 
Each has distinct flavors based on the grains and the time matured in oak.

Following in the footprints of Scotch whisky‡‡ producers, there now are fine Bourbons that are aged for 10, 15, and 20 years.

The main difference between Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey is that the latter develops a sweetness as it is slowly filtered through large vats of sugar maple charcoal.

In the specialty Bourbon area, there are small-batch Bourbons and single barrel Bourbons, which are more complex and sophisticated.
 
 
THE EXPRESSIONS OF PEG LEG PORKER TENNESSEE STRAIGHT BOURBON

A straight bourbon requires that the distillate has spent a minimum of two years stored in new charred oak barrels. Most spirits are aged in re-used barrels; new oak is very expensive. It also imparts stronger flavor elements of caramel, vanilla, and coconut.

Peg Leg Porker brand is a non-distilling producer, which means that the whiskey is made by a distillery not owned by the brand. The brand then bottles and markets the whiskey.
 
 
Peg Leg Porker Tennessee Straight Bourbon 4-6 Years

 
 
Peg Leg Porker Tennessee Straight Bourbon 8 Year

 
 
Peg Leg Porker Tennessee Straight Bourbon 12 Year

 
 
Peg Leg Porker Tennessee Straight Bourbon 15 Year Label

 
 
WHERE TO FIND PEG LEG PORKER BOURBON

You can find bottles at retailers in Southern states, and of course, at Peg Leg restaurant headquarters in The Gulch in Nashville, Tennessee.

There are numerous online vendors, including:

 
For more information about the brand, head to PegLegPorkerSpirits.com.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF BOURBON

The first American whiskey* was named Bourbon after a county in the border area between today’s Indiana and Kentucky.

The county got its name to thank the French for their help in the Revolutionary War. The French royal at the time was the Bourbons (1579-1792), the whiskey was named for the county where it was produced, and the Bourbon casks were graced with the Bourbon logo. Bourbon whiskey soon became famous for its good quality [source].

The whiskey was first distilled in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1789 by a Scotsman, and was called “American Scottish Whiskey” until the U.S. government officially adopted the name Bourbon in 1963.

While it has been made since the 18th century, the name “Bourbon” was not applied until the 1850s, and the origin of the name has been disputed by scholars (i.e., not named for Bourbon County*).
 
 
It’s Finally Called Bourbon

Over time, whiskey from the entire region was called Bourbon, but one of the quirks of history is that today there is no distillery left in the entire county! It is made elsewhere in Kentucky, and can in fact be made legally be made in any U.S. state, although it is strongly associated with the American South.

Tennessee whiskey is sometimes regarded as a different type of spirit but generally meets the legal requirements to be called Bourbon.

While the lion’s share of production takes place in Kentucky, many of the companies that own the leading bourbon brands are based out of state. We’ve listed some of the biggest at the end of this section.

During World War I (1914 to 1918) many distilleries were forced to switch their production from whiskey to gunpowder, and a double punch came with Prohibition (1920 to 1933).

Famous distilleries like Beams had to convert their factory to building buses, while other distilleries, such as Early Times, managed to maintain an “emergency operation,” producing for medical purposes [source].

But after the Second World War, spirits distilling in the U.S. grew at an astounding pace.

Today, connoisseurs are moving away from mass-produced products like Jim Beam or Jack Daniel’s‡ to limited production small batch and single barrel Bourbons.

[1] Peg Leg Porker 4 To 6 Years (photos #1 through #6 © Peg Leg Porker).

[2] Peg Leg 8 Years.

[3] Peg Leg 12 Years on the rocks.

[4] 15 Year Old Peg Leg is topped with a lovely pewter pig.

[5] All four expressions.

[6] Peg Leg Bourbon neat.

[7] One of the most popular Bourbon cocktails is the Mint Julep. Here’s the recipe (photo © Woodford Reserve).

[8] The Old Fashioned is another Bourbon classic. Here’s the recipe.

[8] The Kentucky Mule is a Moscow Mule with Bourbon instead of vodka.

[9] How about a Bourbon Blackberry Lemonade (photo © Smokey Bones).

Even using conservative calculations, that’s enough to fill more than 1 billion bottles—or mix at least 13 billion Old Fashioneds [source].

The Top 10 Best Bourbons, according to WikiliQ, follow. You can see all of their Top 100 Bourbons here.

• 1. Bulleit Bourbon
• 2. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey
• 3. Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky
• 4. Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey
• 5. Basil Haydn’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 6. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 7. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• 8. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 9. Evan Williams Bourbon
• 10. Wild Turkey 101
• 11. Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown. They’re 11th, not 6th, but they are the largest new bourbon distillery in the world.
• 1.2 MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
• 13. A tie between the two Diageo distilleries, George Dickel in Tullahoma, Tennessee and Bulleit in Shelbyville, Kentucky.
• 14. Wilderness Trail in Danville.
• 15. Lux Row in Bardstown.
• 16. Michter’s in Shively.
• 17. Angel’s Envy in Louisville.
• 18. A six-way tie among Old Forester (Louisville), Castle & Key (Frankfort), Willett (Bardstown), New Riff (Newport), Rabbit Hole (Louisville), and Fulton County (Hickman) [source].

 
Ready for a drink? The most popular Bourbon cocktails are the Boulevardier (a Negroni with bourbon instead of gin), Bourbon Sour, Brown Derby, Kentucky Mule (a Moscow Mule with Bourbon instead of Vodka), Mint Julep, Old Fashioned, and Whiskey Highball.
________________

*One posit is Bourbon Street in New Orleans, a major port where shipments of Kentucky whiskey were embraced as a cheaper alternative to French Cognac. See a longer discussion in Wikipedia.

†Tennessee whiskey is a product identical to Bourbon in almost every respect. The key difference is that Tennessee whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal, which provides a unique flavor and aroma. Bourbon does not go through a charcoal mellowing. Jack Daniel’s is the leading example. Historical note: Jack Daniel’s is the oldest registered distillery in the States, registered in 1866.