How to Throw a Bourbon Tasting Party
Photo by Ryan Parker on Unsplash
Bourbon will never go out of style. Hold your own bourbon tasting and let your guests discover their next favorite bottle of American whiskey.
How I Turned My Living Room into a Bourbon Heaven
When I decided to host a bourbon tasting, my first thought was, Do I even have enough coasters for this? Fun Fact: I didn’t. I was dedicated to making this happen even though I didn’t have a ton of room.
Keep it Simple and Organized
I keep things simple and easy. I had 6 different bourbons, some tasting cards I printed off the internet, and plenty of grazing food and water. The bourbons ranged from $15-$45 all the way up to a bottle of Stagg and a bottle of Blanton’s I managed to get my hands on. I created stations where guests can gather and try each bourbon and mark their cards.
The rules were also simple. Start by smelling, move onto the sip, and lastly, jot down your thoughts and flavor notes. Of course, the descriptions everyone gave were not even close to what an actual sommelier would give. Sooner or later, everyone will most likely forget the rules. Isn’t forgetting rules the primary function of bourbon any way?
Formatting your tasting cards like the one above makes everything understandable and perfect. (You can download these cards from Laura Jean).
I would recommend (as does the blog above) making one or two bourbon based cocktails. Since not everyone likes bourbon, making an extra tasty cocktail featuring bourbon will calm their nerves. Plus, a bourbon-based cocktail is one of the best cocktail drinks to make at home. Try these two cocktails on for size:
Apple Honey Mint Julep
2 oz of Bourbon (I like Maker’s Mark)
1/2 oz of Simple Syrup
1 oz of Apple Honey Syrup (bring 1 part sugar, 1 part water, apple slices, honey and cardamom to a boil. Let cool.)
Small handful of mint leaves
Shake all ingredients together. Pour over crushed ice in a copper mug. Garnish with mint leaf.
Classic Bourbon Sour
2 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2-3 dashes of bitters
1 oz Egg White or Foaming Syrup
Combine all ingredients and shake. Pour over ice.
All in all, throwing the tasting was fabulous. It was super fun, made for great conversation, and we all learned a little about bourbon whiskeys. Would I do this again next year? Definitely. And the bourbon-based cocktails were the best cocktails that my guests have had in a while. If I were to do anything different I would offer heavier horderves, perhaps sliders and wings. That and I would offer “hangover kits” as parting gifts.
