I haven’t been posting much here over the last few months because I have been extremely busy with Whisky Magazine and American Whiskey Magazine. I was promoted to Content Editor of American Whiskey Magazine, which has been fantastic. I have also been writing a series about corn for Whisky Magazine, which has been a wonderful learning opportunity.

But my heart is always in Kentucky Bourbon, and September is Bourbon Heritage Month. It’s a great time to celebrate all things bourbon, and what better way to celebrate than with a lovely cocktail. Here are some fabulous cocktail recipes from members of the Bourbon Women to help you celebrate America’s Native Spirit in a spirited fashion.

Rye Collins

by Nicole Stipp, Bourbon Women board member and co-owner Trouble Bar

2 oz rye

1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice

.5 oz cane sugar syrup

Ale 8 One // Club Soda

Stir the rye, lemon juice & syrup; strain onto fresh ice. Top with your fizzy of choice (I love Ale8 for this, but club soda will do!), garnish with a lemon peel.

Louisville Iced Bourbon Coffee

by Susan Reigler (originally published in The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book by Joy Perrine and Susan Reigler, published 2009; with permission to use)

1.5 oz Kentucky bourbon (80-90 proof)

1 oz brown sugar syrup

1 oz Kahlua

5 oz chilled coffee (try with your favorite cold brew!)

1 oz Baileys Irish Cream

Combine all ingredients except the Baileys in the glass over ice. Shake in a Boston shaker. Float the Bailey’s on top and serve with a long straw.

Apple Pie Infused Bourbon

by Heather Wibbels, Bourbon Women board member and the Cocktail Contessa

Celebrate apple season with a spiced apple infusion of bourbon. Depending on the type of apples you use for the infusion and the spices you choose you can create an infusion that suits your palate exactly. For this infusion, though, we’ll keep it simple with a couple of apples, a little cinnamon, cloves, and a bit of ginger.

2 tart apples, cored and chopped

3 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves

2 slices of fresh ginger

Put the cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger in a cheesecloth pouch. Add it, the apples and the bourbon to a clean mason jar and fill with 90 proof or higher bourbon. Agitate the infusion once a day for 3 to 5 days while stored in a dark cabinet (but remove the cheesecloth and its contents after day 2.) Taste the infusion at day three and let it infuse until it’s reached an intensity you enjoy (I infuse mine for 10-14 days). Strain the infusion through a metal sieve lined with a coffee filter and store in the fridge.

Enjoy neat or on the rocks, or in an old fashioned with a bit of dark maple syrup and black walnut bitters.

Photos Courtesy of Unsplash and Heather Wibbels