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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
- 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.
Stir the mixture with the ice for 5-10 seconds to chill it.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with ginger ale.
Enjoy!
Try These Bourbon Cocktails
Tips on Bourbon Ginger Cocktail
Choose your favorite! I like Bulleit or Buffalo Trace in my bourbon cocktails. Skip the rye or flavored bourbons for this recipe.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Happy Hour Snack Pairings
Print the Recipe
PrintLight and Fizzy Bourbon Ginger Cocktail
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.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Stir
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon
- 1 oz ginger liqueur
- 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 oz brown sugar syrup
- 1 oz ginger ale
Instructions
Combine bourbon, ginger liqueur, lemon juice, and brown sugar syrup in a mixing glass filled with ice.
Stir the mixture with the ice for 5-10 seconds to chill it.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Top with ginger ale.
Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to use ginger ALE, not ginger beer!
Keywords: bourbon, ginger cocktail, ginger liqueur, bourbon drinks, bourbon cocktails, happy hour
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