Bourbon Whiskey Margarita

It's five o'clock somewhere! I am always in the mood for whiskey. I usually drink it neat, but as the weather warms up, I like to put a refreshing twist on my favorite beverage. This Bourbon Whiskey Margarita is invigorating, flavorful, and easy to make. I like mine on the rocks, my wife prefers her's frozen.

Why Bourbon?

Self-proclaimed "Real Bourbon Drinkers" might get all over me for this recipe. I get it, I love whiskeys too. My cabinet is full of several different bottles to pour myself a dram and share with guests. I always drink it neat. When I first turned 21 and started drinking, I liked sweet drinks. Whiskey sour was my go-to cocktail.

As I began to like whiskeys more and more, the desire for sweetness left and I enjoyed drinking them neat and finding the nuances of flavor.

I enjoy cocktails at times, I like Manhattans, mojitos, and margaritas. I thought trying to make the margarita, with one of my favorite liquors would be a fine experiment. From the first sip of this bourbon margarita, I knew it worked. I will still be drinking most of my whiskey neat, but this is a nice change for the right occasion, as is our Bourbon Sangria.

Ingredients for Bourbon Margarita Recipe

Whiskey - I love bourbon. Traditionally, a margarita uses tequila. Here we will use bourbon in place of tequila to create a whole new flavor. If you aren't a Bourbon fan, try using a different whiskey. I think an Irish whiskey like Jameson could be used or even an American whiskey like Jack Daniels. For this cocktail, I went with Evan Williams bottled in bond bourbon.

Margarita Mix - Ok, this is a little cheat. If you want to make your own with simple syrup, and citrus juices you can do that. I find that a good quality margarita mix is perfect to use and makes creating the cocktail a cinch. If you only have whiskey sour mix and not margarita mix, add even parts of the sour mix, orange juice, and lemon juice to use in place of the margarita mix.

Lime - We will use lime juice in the cocktail and a lime wheel as a garnish. The fresh lime juice really makes this cocktail.

Salt - Large kosher salt to coat the rim if you desire it. I am not always in the mood for salt, but the lime juice and salt go together.

Lastly, you will need ice cubes and a shaker.

Instructions to make a Bourbon Margarita

Step One: In a cocktail shaker, combine two ounces of bourbon, three ounces of margarita mix, the juice of half a lime, and four to five fresh ice cubes.

Step Two: Place the lid over the cocktail shaker and shake for five seconds. Then strain the whiskey margarita into a glass and garnish.

How to serve a Whiskey Margarita

A fun decision to make is what serving glass to use. This bourbon margarita could go in a traditional margarita glass, it can go in a rocks glass, or even in a martini glass. The color is a beautiful deep yellow, and a contrast with the lime slice, and salt on the rim, make this look like the perfect summer cocktail.

On the Rocks: Stain the prepared cocktail into a rocks glass with about three ice cubes and garnish with a lime wheel.

Martini or cocktail glass: Use a lime wedge to wet part of the rim of a glass, then roll the outer rim of the glass into a shallow plate of coarse salt. Then carefully strain the cocktail into the glass so as not to get the salt to go into the glass. We don't want a salty margarita. Garnish with a fresh slice of lime.

Frozen: If you want to make frozen margaritas, add the ice and ingredients into a blender and pour into a frozen margarita glass. And garnish with a lime slices.

Can I use cheap bourbon?

The bourbon I used is a little secret. You don't have to use your best good whiskey for this recipe, I wouldn't. I take inexpensive bourbon, then pour it into a decanter or mason jar with a tablespoon of toasted oak chips for two weeks.

The oak chips add a depth of flavor to the whiskey, making it taste like it has spent added time in an oak barrel. I place the oak chips in a mesh bag so I can remove them easily.

You could also prepare any type of whisky cocktail ahead of time and let it age a little longer with the oak chips for some oaky notes and a new flavor. It helps take some of the sharp bite off of a cheaper whiskey.

If you want to try a spicy version of the bourbon margarita recipe, try making our Spicy Margarita and using bourbon in place of the tequila. Looking for an easy fruity cocktail. Try our Strawberry Vodka Shots.

Want a refreshing cocktail with an herbal twist? Try this Lavender Lemonade Cocktail or a Rosemary Gimlet.

Serve your whiskey margarita with Grilled Tajin Chicken, Smoked Shrimp, Venison Tacos, or Fajitas.