Sum-Bourbon Joe • Holiday Recipes

The Holiday Pour

Ten festive cocktails, bourbon at the heart. From the Thanksgiving table to the New Year's toast, pull up a chair by the fire and make something warm.

10 recipes❄One serving each❄Cheers, y'all
Turkey Day Turn-Up cocktail in a highball glass
01

Turkey Day Turn-Up

A bright, fizzy Thanksgiving kickoff.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 2 oz apple cider
  • 1 oz cranberry juice cocktail
  • 2 oz ginger beer, chilled
  • 1 tsp cinnamon-sugar blend, for rim
Make It

Moisten half the rim of a highball with a little measured cider. Dip into cinnamon-sugar. Add ice, bourbon, remaining cider and cranberry juice. Stir gently. Top with ginger beer and give one slow lift with a barspoon.

Serve & GarnishHighballcubed icehalf cinnamon-sugar rim
The Orchard Old Fashioned cocktail in a rocks glass
02

The Orchard Old Fashioned

A maple orchard twist on the classic.

Ingredients
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 0.5 oz apple cider
  • 0.25 oz maple syrup
  • 2 dashes aromatic bitters
  • 1 cinnamon stick
Make It

Stir bourbon, cider, maple and bitters with ice for 20 seconds. Strain over a large cube in a rocks glass. Add the cinnamon stick.

Serve & GarnishRockslarge clear cubecinnamon stick
Pecan Pie After Dark cocktail in a rocks glass
03

Pecan Pie After Dark

Creamy caramel, toasted pecan character.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 0.5 oz pecan syrup
  • 1 oz half-and-half
  • 2 drops vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp crushed pecans
Make It

Wet half the rim with a little measured pecan syrup; coat with crushed pecans. Shake remaining syrup, bourbon, half-and-half and vanilla with ice for 12 seconds. Strain over fresh ice.

Serve & GarnishRocksfresh cubespecan half rim
The Gingerbread Gentleman cocktail in a highball glass
04

The Gingerbread Gentleman

Sparkling ginger and warm baking spice.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 0.5 oz gingerbread syrup
  • 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 2 oz ginger beer, chilled
  • 1 cinnamon stick
Make It

Shake bourbon, syrup and lemon with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball. Top with ginger beer, gently lift once and add cinnamon.

Serve & GarnishHighballcubed icecinnamon stick
White Christmas in Macomb cocktail in a coupe glass
05

White Christmas in Macomb

A snowy white holiday dessert pour.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 1 oz white chocolate liqueur
  • 1 oz half-and-half
  • 0.25 oz vanilla syrup
  • 1 rosemary sprig
Make It

Shake bourbon, liqueur, half-and-half and syrup with ice for 12 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. Rest the rosemary on the rim.

Serve & GarnishCoupeserved uprosemary sprig
Santa's Nightcap cocktail in a highball glass
06

Santa's Nightcap

A bright red sparkling holiday pour.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 1.5 oz pomegranate juice
  • 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz simple syrup (1:1)
  • 2 oz sparkling water, chilled
Make It

Shake bourbon, pomegranate, lemon and syrup with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball. Top with sparkling water and gently lift once. No extra garnish.

Serve & GarnishHighballcubed iceno garnish
The Midnight Peppermint cocktail in a coupe glass
07

The Midnight Peppermint

Chocolate cream with a festive peppermint edge.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 0.75 oz dark chocolate liqueur
  • 0.25 oz peppermint syrup
  • 1 oz half-and-half
  • 1 tsp crushed candy cane
Make It

Wet half a coupe rim with a little measured peppermint syrup and coat with crushed candy cane. Shake remaining syrup, bourbon, liqueur and cream with ice. Double-strain into the chilled coupe.

Serve & GarnishCoupeserved upcandy cane half rim
The Midnight Countdown cocktail in a coupe glass
08

The Midnight Countdown

An elegant champagne-gold New Year toast.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 2 oz dry sparkling wine, chilled
  • 0.5 oz honey syrup (1:1)
  • 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lemon twist
Make It

Shake bourbon, honey syrup and lemon with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. Slowly top with sparkling wine. Express the lemon twist and place it on the rim.

Serve & GarnishCoupeserved uplemon twist
The Winter Reset cocktail in a highball glass
09

The Winter Reset

Blood orange brightness for January.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 oz bourbon
  • 1.5 oz blood orange juice
  • 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 oz honey syrup (1:1)
  • 2 oz sparkling water, chilled
Make It

Shake bourbon, blood orange, lemon and honey syrup with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball. Top with sparkling water and gently lift once. No extra garnish.

Serve & GarnishHighballcubed iceno garnish
The Bourbon Joe Signature cocktail in a rocks glass
10

The Bourbon Joe Signature

A premium amber closer with a subtle smoky edge.

Ingredients
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 0.25 oz maple syrup
  • 2 dashes aromatic bitters
  • 1 orange peel
  • 1/64 tsp smoked salt
Make It

Stir bourbon, maple, bitters and smoked salt with ice for 20-30 seconds. Strain over one large clear cube in a rocks glass. Express the orange peel and place it beside the cube. Use salt sparingly.

Serve & GarnishRockslarge clear cubeorange peel
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Cheers To Good People

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Please enjoy responsibly and never drive after drinking. For adults of legal drinking age. Recipes are Sum-Bourbon Joe specifications for one serving each (US fluid ounces, ice as needed), so taste-test before you serve. The cocktail photos are AI-generated presentation visuals.