There are many ways to drink bourbon, and there may be no one way that is “the best,” considering everyone has a personal preference. With that in mind, what are the standard and most popular ways to drink bourbon, and what are the pros and cons of each method? Let's find out how to drink bourbon and the five best ways.
5. On the Rocks (with Ice)
Pros
If you cannot tolerate bourbon at its bottled proof, drinking it on the rocks will help you. Drinking bourbon like this is an excellent way for beginners to introduce themselves to bourbon. Drinking bourbon on the rocks will lessen the burn generally associated with whiskey served at room temperature with no ice or additives.
Cons
Drinking bourbon with ice will invariably water down the flavor and the proof of the bourbon. It will also make the bourbon cold. This will cause the bourbon to be less flavorful. Additionally, if you are a bourbon enthusiast, you cannot evaluate bourbon effectively when drinking it on the rocks.
4. Cold (with whiskey stones)
Pros
Many whiskey drinkers prefer to drink their spirits cold. Using whiskey stones gives you the benefit of this personal preference while not diluting the flavor of the bourbon.
Cons
The full flavor of bourbon is released at room temperature. Anytime you make whiskey cold, it will negatively impact the taste.
3. Drop of Water (Room Temperature)
Pros
Adding a drop of water to your whiskey can unleash flavors you would otherwise not notice. If you are a bourbon enthusiast, you should enhance your tasting experience by identifying the various notes a drop of water releases.
Cons
There are no drawbacks to adding a drop of water, even if you are a whiskey purist.
2. Neat
Pros
Drinking bourbon neat means experiencing it at room temperature, straight, with no ice or water and no additives. You are getting the full flavor of the bourbon as desired by the distillery. Remember that if you are not drinking a barrel strength or cask-strength bourbon, the distillery has already watered down the whiskey. Cask-strength or barrel-strength bourbons inherently have a higher concentration of flavor. When bourbon enthusiasts grade or rate a bourbon’s tasting experience, it is always graded neat.
Cons
Drinking bourbon neat may be difficult if you are new to the whiskey-tasting experience. Many people cannot handle the “burn” of a bourbon that is not watered down
1. In Cocktails
Pros
Cocktails are much more universally enjoyed than the other ways listed. They can be designed to your taste which makes them the perfect drink. There are no good or bad cocktails; there are only cocktails that meet your preferences, so they will be good.
Cons
There are no drawbacks to cocktails. With hundreds of different cocktail varieties, you only need to find the mixed drink you enjoy.