This Ginger Bourbon Cocktail is refreshing, simple, and perfect for fall and winter! It's made with homemade fresh ginger syrup and topped with ginger soda for a double ginger flavor. You'll be surprised how easy it is to make, and you can make it in a pitcher too!
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Why You'll Love This Ginger Bourbon Cocktail
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Ingredients
- Bourbon - My go-to bourbon whiskey for cocktails is Maker's Mark but you can use any you have. Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey 101, Buffalo Trace, and Four Roses are also popular ones for mixed drinks.
- Lemon juice - Use freshly squeezed lemon juice whenever possible for the best flavor.
- Ginger syrup - I highly recommend making homemade ginger syrup, but you can always use store-bought as well (like Monin).
- Ginger beer - To double up on the ginger flavor, I top the drink with some ginger beer. I prefer it over ginger ale because it isn't as strong. Use whichever one you prefer, or, if you don't want the extra ginger, top the drink with club soda or sparkling water.
Variations and Substitutions
- Store-bought syrup - I always like to look for small local syrup brands (my favorite in Canada is Prosyro), but Monin is always a great option as well, and available online.
- A different spirit - If you don't have bourbon whiskey, you can use regular whiskey or even dark rum or spiced rum.
- Mocktail - Use non-alcoholic "bourbon" or "whiskey" for the same flavors but without the alcohol. Unfortunately, there aren't any other drinks that would give you the same flavor besides zero-proof spirits that mimic the flavor. Alternatively, you can mix ginger beer with lemon juice and ginger syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Into a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, lemon juice, ginger syrup, and orange bitters.
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- Fill a short glass and set aside. Add a handful of ice to your cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to the touch.
- Strain into your prepared glass over ice and top up with ginger ale.
- Garnish the cocktail with a slice of orange and a couple of fresh ginger slices if desired, and enjoy!
Serving and Make Ahead Tips
If you're making your own syrup, I highly recommend making it the day before or at least a few hours before so that it's cooled down and ready for your cocktails!
The syrup will last you in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, so it's great prepped ahead. If you don't use all of it, you can freeze it as well! I like to freeze it in small freezer-safe containers, not an ice cube tray, because it never freezes completely solid.
Before you start making your cocktails, make sure you have all your garnishes ready to go so your cocktails don't get too watered down while you're slicing lemons and ginger.
I also recommend filling your glasses with ice before you make your cocktails for the same reason (the cocktail would be left sitting in your shaker with ice for longer).
FAQs
More Bourbon Cocktails
If you want to try other cocktails that feature bourbon, I highly recommend the 3 below! The cherry one is my personal favorite, but they're all delicious! To see all the latest ones, head over to Cocktails.
- Bourbon Cherry Cocktail
- Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail (a reader favorite!)
- Chai Old Fashioned
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Have you tried this Ginger Bourbon Cocktail? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Ginger Bourbon Cocktail
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Ginger Bourbon Cocktail is refreshing, simple, and perfect for fall and winter! It's made with homemade fresh ginger syrup and topped with ginger soda for a double ginger flavor. It's easy to make, and you can make it in a pitcher as well!
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon or whiskey
- 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ oz ginger syrup or plain simple syrup (or sub maple syrup)
- 2 dashes of orange bitters
- Ice
- ¼-½ cup ginger ale or ginger beer (to top up)
- Garnish ideas: lemon slice, lemon twist, fresh ginger slices, orange slice
Instructions
- Into a cocktail shaker, add bourbon, lemon juice, ginger syrup, and orange bitters.
- Fill a short glass and set aside. Add a handful of ice to your cocktail shaker.
- Shake vigorously for a few seconds until very cool to touch.
- Strain into your prepared glass over ice and top up with ginger ale.
- Garnish the cocktail with a slice of orange and a couple of fresh ginger slices if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade syrup: If you're making your own syrup, you can store it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for longer. It never freezes completely solid, so I recommend small jars, not an ice cube tray.
Mocktail: Use non-alcoholic "bourbon" or "whiskey" for the same flavors but without the alcohol. Unfortunately, there aren't any other drinks that would give you the same flavor besides zero-proof spirits that mimic the flavor. Alternatively, you can mix ginger beer with lemon juice and ginger syrup.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Karen Marie FRANTZ says
Hi! I’m curious to try this recipe. Is this used to be called a Highball? I remember my family making cocktails out of ginger ale and bourbon and they called them Highballs.
Veronika Sykorova says
Hi Karen, it's similar to a Highball but Highball usually doesn't have any lemon juice or simple syrup. It's just a spirit and sparkling water or soda served in a tall glass like gin and tonic, rum and coke, or bourbon and ginger ale.