This Smoky, Breakfast-Ready Bourbon Is Perfect For Brunch Cocktails

If you're looking to elevate your brunch game, there's a bourbon that can easily help you level up not only in the realm of cocktails, but in the kitchen as well. You may be familiar with Knob Creek, the Kentucky bourbon created in the 1990s by legendary distiller and grandson of Jim Beam, Booker Noe, which is an essential whiskey brand to know. But you may not be as familiar with one of its expressions — Smoked Maple Bourbon. As the name implies, this is a bourbon with a distinctive maple flavor and a touch of smokiness, two definitive breakfast flavors that make this bourbon a perfect companion for your next brunch. 

Besides the distinctive maple flavor and hint of smoke, this bourbon has other, much more classic tasting notes, like vanilla, oak, and warming spices. It gives any of the classic bourbon-based cocktails, like Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, a unique twist that pairs with breakfast and brunch staples like pancakes or waffles. It also works well with savory favorites like sausage, egg dishes, and bacon where its hint of sweetness balances the saltiness of these foods. Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon also comes in at a relatively low 90 proof, which also makes it a good choice for brunch cocktails since, you know, day drinking. 

When crafting a cocktail with Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon, there are a few things to take into consideration. Because this is sweeter than a traditional bourbon, you need to adjust your ingredients. For instance, if you're making an Old Fashioned, you can reduce (or even ditch) the traditional sugar or simple syrup. Also, you should up the amount of bitters to help balance out the sweetness. Candied bacon makes a great garnish for these cocktails, because, well, it's bacon, and bacon makes everything better. Besides the old-school bourbon cocktails, we've seen drinks that combine this bourbon with ingredients like ginger beer or chai tea, so feel free to let your mixological impulses go wild here.

Beyond brunch cocktails, this surprisingly versatile bourbon can do double duty as a kitchen staple. It makes the perfect ingredient for a bourbon caramel sauce, leaning into breakfast flavors like maple and smoky bacon. Skip the regular syrup and drizzle this sauce on French toast, pancakes, sweet crepes, or waffles for an elevated breakfast treat. Or you can go one step beyond by adding a bit of Knob Creek's Smoked Maple Bourbon into your waffle batter, giving your waffles an unexpected depth of flavor. Once you taste this bourbon, you'll likely find all kinds of ways to incorporate it into your next brunch.