Bourbon and Rye Cocktails

Explore the storied history of American whiskey through more than 70 bourbon- and rye-based cocktail recipes, from award-winning author and New York Times and Wall Street Journal cocktail and spirits writer Robert Simonson.

A must-have for whiskey enthusiasts and cocktail aficionados, Bourbon and Rye Cocktails chronicles the rich, centuries-long history of American whiskey and offers a curated collection of expertly crafted cocktails.

Using a timeline format with entries spanning the late eighteenth century to today, award-winning spirits writer Robert Simonson spotlights the key moments (Prohibition, the rise of modern craft distilleries), pioneering personalities (Elijah Craig, Abe Overholt), and legendary brands (Buffalo Trace, Old Forester, Maker's Mark) in the history of American whiskey. 

Most timeline entries are accompanied by a related cocktail, for a total of 73 simple recipes contributed by some of the best bartenders in America. Recipes include riffs on classic cocktails—the Old-Fashioned, Manhattan, Mint Julep, Sazerac, Whiskey Sour—as well as new favorites such as the Barrel Hopper (refreshing and boozy with chocolate bitters and cinnamon), Autumn Leaves (a hot toddy, but cold), The Ninth Ward (a tropical quaff featuring fresh lime and elderflower liqueur), and Soba Sour (starring buckwheat tea, sherry, and honey).

Sporting stylish illustrations and a wealth of whiskey knowledge, Bourbon and Rye Cocktails is a worthy addition to every home bartender's bookshelf.Robert Simonson is the author of seven acclaimed books on cocktails and cocktail culture, including The Old-Fashioned, A Proper Drink, 3-Ingredient Cocktails, The Martini Cocktail, Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails, Modern Classic Cocktails, and The Encyclopedia of Cocktails. He has written about cocktails, spirits, and bars for the New York Times since 2009, publishing more words about cocktails than any writer in the history of the newspaper. As such, he was the primary contributor to The New York Times Essential Book of Cocktails. In 2022, he and his wife, Mary Kate Murray, co-founded the well-read Substack newsletter The Mix with Robert Simonson, which was nominated for a Tales of the Cocktail Spirted Award in 2023 and won an IACP Award in 2024. Simonson began writing a cocktail column for The Wall Street Journal in 2024, and also contributes regularly to New York Magazine, Imbibe, Men's Journal, Esquire, and Vinepair.