Beat the Summer Heat with a Bourbon Slush

Dog days of summer got you down? It’s hard to enjoy the summer fun with the unbearable heat. Luckily, fall is around the corner, but in the meantime try adding this frozen favorite to your summer cocktail recipes. Whether it’s drinks by the pool or a patio sunset, a Bourbon slush is sure to help you beat the heat.

The Tousey Tavern Bourbon Slush

This delicious recipe is from Maggie Green’s Tasting Kentucky – Favorite Recipes from the Bluegrass State cookbook. This particular Bourbon slush recipe is a Wainscott family recipe handed down from their 104 year old Grandma Hellman. She was known for keeping a fresh batch in her freezer for any thirsty visitors. You can enjoy this tasty treat at the Wainscott family restaurant, The Tousey House Tavern in Burlington. Or, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you can try making it yourself at home. Either way, this Bourbon slush is sure to cool you off and become a favorite summer cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 (6-ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
• 2 (6-ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate
• 2 (6-ounce) cans frozen lemonade concentrate
• 3 cups water
• 2 1⁄4 cups brewed unsweetened tea
• 6 ounces Maraschino cherry juice
• 1000 ml Buffalo Trace Bourbon (about 4 cups)
• Ginger ale

Instructions

1. In a 12-cup lidded container, mix all the ingredients except the ginger ale.
2. Cover and freeze for 24 hours. Stir the slush several times during the freezing process to break up the ice crystals. Once frozen, the mix can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3. To serve, spoon about 3⁄4 cup of the slush into a glass and top with a splash of ginger ale. Serve immediately.

 

Kentucky Derby Bourbon Slush

This tasty summer recipe is from the Kentucky Derby Museum Cookbook. It’s a sweet with a hefty dose of Bourbon, so anyone from newbies to Bourbon connoisseurs can enjoy this summer treat.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups of tea (2 ½ cups of water and 2 small tea bags)
• 1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed
• 1 6-ounce can frozen orange juice
• 2 cups Kentucky bourbon
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups water

Instructions

1. Brew a small batch of tea and let cool to room temperature. Mix in the frozen but thawed lemonade & orange juice along with the sugar & water.
2. Add the bourbon, and mix.
3. Cover & place in the freezer overnight.
4. The next day, scoop the bourbon treat into a glass & garnish with pineapple chunks on a toothpick, or cherry.

Try either of these Bourbon slush recipes at your next summer gathering to beat the heat and keep you cool (while you wait with anticipation for the cooler weather fall will bring). This frozen cocktail is sure to become a summer staple.