Light and Fizzy Bourbon Ginger Cocktail (Video)

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Bourbon drinks have a reputation of being strong cocktails reserved for the end of the evening. But they don’t have to be! This Bourbon Ginger Cocktail recipe uses ginger and lemon to create a light and fizzy bourbon drink that’s perfect for sipping during happy hour.

The smokiness of bourbon pairs deliciously with the fresh bite of ginger. Using ginger ale in this recipe keeps the ginger flavor in check while giving the drink a bit of sparkling fizz. This is a great drink to serve to someone without a lot of bourbon experience or who’s never had a bourbon cocktail beyond an Old Fashioned.

What You Need

Ingredients for bourbon ginger cocktails

Bourbon
Ginger liqueur
Brown sugar syrup
A lemon
Ginger ale

How to Make It

Combine bourbon, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, and brown sugar syrup in a mixing glass filled with ice.

Pouring bourbon into a mixing glass full of ice

Stir the mixture with the ice for 5-10 seconds to chill it.

Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.

Pouring the mixed drink into a rocks glass full of ice.

Top with ginger ale.

Pouring ginger ale on the top of the bourbon cocktail.

Enjoy!

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Tips on Bourbon Ginger Cocktail

What kind of bourbon should I use?

Choose your favorite! I like Bulleit or Buffalo Trace in my bourbon cocktails. Skip the rye or flavored bourbons for this recipe.

Don’t have a mixing glass?

Use a mason jar! A wide mouthed mason jar is a great substitute for a mixing glass. Follow the directions for the cocktail. When it comes time to pour the drink into a glass, use the flat piece of the mason jar lid to hold the ice in the jar while you pour.

Can I use bottled lemon juice?

Fresh juice is best here. After all, there are only 5 ingredients in this cocktail! You’ll need about ½ of a fresh lemon per drink. Before cutting it, give your lemon a roll on the counter while pressing down on it to release all of its juice and make it easier to squeeze.

Use ginger ALE, not ginger beer.

Ginger ale keeps this a light and refreshing drink. It’s also good with ginger beer (if that’s all you have on hand), but you’ll have a much stronger ginger flavor in your cocktail.

Make your syrup ahead of time.

Be sure to make the brown sugar syrup a few hours before you intend to make your cocktail. I like to make my syrups in the morning so they have lots of time to chill before happy hour arrives. Warm syrup will cause the ice to melt faster when you’re mixing your cocktail resulting in extra water in your drink, so always use cold syrups.