HAND CRAFTED  Bourbon cocktail recipes

There’s a kind of quiet light right before sunset — everything softens and glows. That’s this drink. One of our favorite collaborators, Solmaz Saberi, created a cocktail — the Golden Hour Sour — that mirrors her designed meal’s palette and depth. Clarified citrus, saffron-honey syrup, and Maker’s Mark create something silky, floral, and unexpectedly bright. It’s a full-sensory pairing. A little unreasonable. And completely unforgettable.

Bourbon Sours remain a crowd favorite, but we don’t have to make them ordinary — trust us, you’re going to want to go the extra mile on this one. To celebrate being perfectly unreasonable in all aspects of our life, we’re mixing up a Swiss meringue twist to the go-to sour alongside our partner (and mixology expert) Chris Leavitt. If only all whisky cocktails could be topped off so delightfully.

A refreshing twist on the classic Sour, this long, fizzy cocktail is approachable and enhances Maker’s signature cherry, vanilla, and caramel notes for easy sipping, day or night.

A taste of the season emerges through the Spiced Cranberry Sidecar. Maker’s Mark 46 fuses with orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and a touch of cranberry marmalade. With a garnish of orange peel, this cocktail becomes both fragrant and artesional.

It’s peak summer (in our hearts, regardless of actual calendar date), which means one thing: tomatoes are at their absolute best. Bursting with flavor and versatility, tomatoes can go sweet or savory, and the same goes for cocktails. The Jar Drop is a cheeky take on a whisky sour with tomato water, sea salt, and manzanilla sherry. Not only is it bright and surprisingly full of umami, but these tomatoes are sourced directly from my neighborhood farmer’s market. This drink is inspired by the ingredients themselves, sold by the very farmers who grew them. 

This perfectly unreasonable cocktail is nostalgia in a glass, because nothing beats a PB&J with a glass of milk. Unless of course it's in cocktail form. Inspired by Maker’s Mark’s cherry vanilla flavor notes that reminded her of jam, the idea just snowballed from there. And it’s a great excuse for a fun garnish snack! There are two infusions and a clarification for this one, but this cocktail, like most good things, is worth the wait.

Ashley Rose pairs cherry and umami with Maker’s Mark’s stone fruit notes to create another lovely sour unreasonably reminiscent of a garden stroll. Explore her recipe in the next slides, including what it takes to formulate her yummy Cherry Miso Syrup.

One of our favorite collaborators, James Beard Award® Winner Frankie Gaw, went above-and-beyond to deliver a paired cocktail even took that same pairing of soy sauce and whisky and challenged himself to make a cocktail. It features Maker’s Mark 46 that’s fat-washed with brown butter and sesame oil that’s then mixed with maple syrup, yuzu, and soy sauce that both highlights and complements the rich char siu and whisky.

Don’t let the name fool you! The New York Sour may sound like an East Coast classic, but its roots likely trace back to Chicago. Over time, it’s picked up more than a few nicknames — Continental Sour, Claret Snap, even Southern Whisky Sour — all hinting at its ability to charm just about anyone, anywhere. With a bold bourbon base and a dramatic float of red wine, the New York Sour is as eye-catching as it is delicious, and it’s easier to make than it looks.

The elevated flavor and higher proof of Maker's Mark 46 brings a new level of sophistication to this elegant classic. This simple yet flavorful cocktail is said to have first been served at the Manhattan Club. Like many stories involving whisky, its history is a bit cloudy, but one thing is clear, the Manhattanite who first concocted this cocktail created a classic with true staying power.

The Maker's Mark Cask Smash brings flavor straight from the garden into your glass. We prefer to use fresh Opal Basil, but feel free to experiment with other intense herbs like rosemary, mint, or tarragon.