Best Bourbon Cocktails In Baltimore

In 2007, Congress unanimously voted to make September "National Bourbon Heritage Month" in the United States. It may not always occur to some folks, but bourbon is a U.S. original which goes back practically to the beginning of the country, and celebrating the spirit of this great American spirit is one of the things that makes September such a great month. While Kentucky hosts the annual Bourbon Fest, Maryland is no slouch in making this drink great. Here are five local bourbon cocktails you've just gotta try before September ends.
Bar Liquorice
801 E. Fort Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21230
(443) 708-1675
www.barliquoricebmore.com

Bar Liquorice is a relatively new addition to the Baltimore bar scene and has already found its feet as a popular watering hole with a friendly and comfy feel to it. It's a relatively small bar, and the interior is so loungey it almost feels like sitting in a well-appointed living room. To suit the bar's name, the tables and counters have jars of free-for-the-munching Twizzlers. Guests may also enjoy the bottomless bowls of olive oil and rosemary popcorn, a combination of flavor which is quite a winner.

Bar Liquorice has a great deals in terms of food and drinks on the menu, but for bourbon cocktails, try out their Negroni. This concoction uses Campari and Scrappy's orange bitters to zest up the flavor of the crisp, and F.E.W. Spirits gin to formulate it. Knock it back and have another!

Bluegrass
1500 S. Hanover St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 244-5101
www.bluegrasstavern.com

Bluegrass Tavern is barbecue and bourbon joint that is serious about its barbecue and serious about its bourbon. If you want to try the food, definitely give the fried chicken a try, and if you don't mind the fact that Bluegrass makes its own ketchup, give the burgers a go as well. But enough about the food. Let's talk bourbon.

Bluegrass has a catalog of over 50 bourbons and ryes with some rotation involved. Join the Bluegrass bourbon club and earn points when you drink at the bar. Earn enough points, and you'll earn yourself a few free drinks. And when you get your free drink, try the Southern Bell, a zesty blend of Belle Meade and peach schnapps with a fruity infusion of passion fruit for that perfect Southern flavor.

B & O American Brasserie
2 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(443) 692-6172
www.bandorestaurant.com

While it may be part of the Hotel Monaco, B&O manages to remain a bar unto itself. The bar atmosphere is as swank as a four-star hotel, and patrons will receive the pampering treatment one might expect from such an upscale establishment.

Come in and watch the mesmerizing mixology magic of the seasoned bartender, but if you want to order a memorable bourbon drink, try the Galavanter, winner of the 2012 Bbq Ryes Up Cocktail Competition. This magical blend starts with a base of Bulleit Rye punched up with some tricks of the bartender's trade, and is finished off with grapefruit bitters for the perfect combination of tangy flavor.

Related:  Best Cocktail Happy Hours In Baltimore

Waterfront Kitchen
1417 Thames St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
(443) 681-5310
waterfrontkitchen.com

Most of what you need to know about Waterfront Kitchen is contained in the name of the establishment. Sitting as it does on the Patapsco River branch of the Chesapeake Bay, just upstream of the Inner Harbor, WK has an expansive deck overlooking the water where one may sit when ordering any of their tantalizing meals. However, it is their cozy kitchen bar and equally tantalizing cocktail menu which becomes the draw of this rustic restaurant in the month of bourbon celebration. Sidle up to the bar and place an order for the Bourbon Smash, their take on a Southern classic. The bartender has streamlined the drink to give ample room for the expansive taste of the Benchmark bourbon with just enough spearmint to add flavoring, lemon sumac to add tang, and cherries and syrup to add sweetness. Cheers!

Blue Pit BBQ And Whiskey Bar
1601 Union Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21211
(443) 948-5590
bluepitbbq.com

Walk into the Blue Pit when you get a chance and try out its rotating menu of specially cured whiskey drinks and BBQ menu to compliment. It's guaranteed you won't be disappointed. After you get your food and drink of choice, retire to their expansive outdoor seating and strike up a conversation with an interesting stranger in the friendly atmosphere it provides.
When it comes to bourbon cocktails, though, don't leave without trying the Sakai's An Old-Fashioned Guy, a simple but profound blend of barrel-aged Elijah Craig, ango and syrup. It's about as good as they come.

Related: Best Cocktail Bars In Baltimore

Joel Furches is a freelance writer and researcher for The Examiner and Logos Software, and also manages his own catalog of writing on Hub Pages. Joel is on the board of directors for Ratio Christi. He has a bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Education.
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