19 Bourbon Cocktails for Starting Parties or Sipping Solo

Ask for bourbon cocktails and you shall receive bourbon cocktails—some of which are classics, some of which are more inventive riffs, and all of which are delicious.

First, a little lesson: All bourbon cocktails are whiskey cocktails, but not all whiskey cocktails are bourbon cocktails. In other words, bourbon is a type of whiskey. For bourbon to be bourbon, it must have a mash bill (the list of grains fermented as the first step of the whiskey-making process) containing at least 51 percent corn, which gives it its signature sweet flavor profile. Rye whiskey, by comparison, must be majority rye, making it taste grassy and dry, even a little spicy.

Now, here are 19 of our best bourbon cocktail recipes for your drinking pleasure.