Happy Bourbon Day!

Hello there! As is the case every time this day comes around on the calendar, June 14th is the day we celebrate the birth of bourbon, that sweet Kentucky nectar the legends tell was first produced back in 1789. How should you commemorate this important occasion? I suggest “with bourbon.” Here are two classic recipes I have designed to highlight this most perfect of liquids. You may remember them from earlier celebrations, but if you were actually celebrating properly you probably do not, so what the heck, let’s give them another shot.

This first one I call “The Neat”:

INGREDIENTS
4 oz. bourbon

DIRECTIONS
1. Pour ingredients into glass.

2. Consume.

This is pretty much the perfect cocktail, but I am aware that some people prefer a lighter drink every now and again, particularly in the summer months as the weather grows warm. Hence what I have dubbed “On the Rocks”:

INGREDIENTS
4 oz. bourbon
Ice

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ice in glass. [NOTE: Some people will say you should use one extremely large cube of ice, to impede dilution. These people are not necessarily wrong, but they are the kind of people who think WAY TOO MUCH about cocktail accoutrements. They are, in fact, the kind of people you desperately find yourself searching for excuses to avoid at cocktail parties. If you have a large cube of ice at hand, terrific. Good for you! If not, go with what you’ve got. The point is enjoyment, not precision. This is true of most things in life, by the way; it doesn’t just apply to drinking. But I digress.]

2. Pour bourbon over ice.

3. Consume.

And there you have it. These are the two perfect ways to enjoy bourbon. Happy Bourbon Day, everyone. Celebrate responsibly, or at least have a responsible friend supervise your celebration.

Photo by Seth Anderson, via Flickr