Hey there bourbon lovers… I’m assuming (based on the title of this post) that if you are not a bourbon-lover, you are not reading. However, those of you who have neutral feelings about bourbon, you should really consider trying a bourbon infusion. They are amazing.
Coffee Bourbon
So, back to the bourbon… We have recently had a handful of bourbon fans tell us that they have started their first bourbon infusion. Some have started the banana bourbon, others the coffee bourbon. And for all lovers of bourbon out there, I thought we would make it easy on you and compile a list of all of the bourbon infusions for which we have posted recipes to date.
Chocolate Bourbon
Before we get into the list, a few things we have learned about bourbon infusions:
– They almost never need any additional sweeteners
– They take little effort and turn out phenomenally
– They cause many people who are not traditionally bourbon lovers to have a much better appreciation of this fine, brown spirit
Cherry Bourbon
Below are all of her the bourbon infusions we have posted thus far (as well as a few cocktails and other recipes). Please click the link to get the recipe and post for each infusion.
Cherry Bourbon and don’t miss the Cherry Bomb
Coffee Bourbon and the Coffee Bourbon Milkshake
Chocolate Bourbon and the German Chocolate Cocktail
Mint Bourbon (cocktail recipe included)
Peanut Bourbon and Chocolate Peanut-Bourbon Clusters
Prune Bourbon (we have not yet posted a recipe but an easy treat was prune bourbon in ginger ale) We also used the infused prunes to make the amazing Boozy Prune Jam
Apple Pie Bourbon
My favorites? I would say the Cherry Bourbon, Coffee Bourbon (you really must make this and try the milkshake) and Apple Pie Bourbon. The Prune Bourbon was delicious, but the Boozy Prune Jam was so good, I would make the infusion again just so I can have more jam.
So to all the bourbon lovers, I hope you find some inspiration and start an infusion. Don’t see one you like on the list? Feel free to ask me about other ideas for your infusions.
Cheers!
Boozed + Infused 
July 22, 2012 at 6:13 am
Thanks so much for this post! Bourbon is my favorite spirit, so I’ll be sure to try all of these infusions.
I’ve been making my own infusions for about a year but only recently stumbled upon your blog, which Iove. The only one of your infusions I’ve tried is the banana bourbon, which is delicious! I made a small batch (less than 8 ounces), which I strained it just a few nights ago, and it’s almost gone already. Last night, I mixed it with honey syrup and 1/2 & 1/2 for a dessert drink, which was so good that I made a second drink with a bit of Frangelico instead of some of the honey syrup. Yum.
Thanks again. I’m off to check our coffee bean supply.
July 22, 2012 at 8:50 am
I have a batch of coffee bourbon infusing!
July 22, 2012 at 8:51 pm
Laurie, that is great! I know you will come up with something really delicious with it!
July 22, 2012 at 9:28 am
oh, my, goodness. We drink bourbon all the time; I might have to start infusing with it!
July 22, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Yes, you really should try infusing with bourbon. You are going to love it!!
July 22, 2012 at 10:10 am
Thanks for this post! Love having all of your infusions for bourbon right here in one post so that I can reference the others!
July 22, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Thanks! That was exactly what we were hoping for.
July 22, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Yes! I have bourbon plums happening right now. I also made the banana bourbon, but I think my banana was a little overripe–it’s a really intense finished product. Will try again later!
July 22, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Eileen, I need to try a few plum infusions also. Have you sampled yours yet? How are they coming along? Oh, and I am doing another blueberry infusion with frozen blueberries that have not been reheated on the stove and I think they are infusing great. (if I remember correctly you had questioned that)
July 22, 2012 at 7:46 pm
The banana bourbon sounds wonderful!
July 22, 2012 at 8:46 pm
Thanks Kelli!
July 23, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Ooh, I can’t wait to try my coffee bourbon! Just another week or so… You tease me!
July 28, 2012 at 9:00 am
Lauren, I can’t wait for you to try it too!! I saw your post on blackberry thyme margaritas, they look great!
July 24, 2012 at 6:57 am
Peanut bourbon!!!!!
That is not much of a comment–it just made me really excited–so cool!
July 28, 2012 at 9:02 am
Well… It was very easy to make… You should try it! (and the chocolate peanut clusters we made with the bourbon soaked peanuts were great too!)
July 25, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Yes, please, to all! That banana infusions sounds quite intriguing
July 28, 2012 at 9:07 am
Ruth, thanks for the comment. The banana infusion is very tasty… As are the rest! Hope you will give one of them a try!
August 25, 2012 at 2:29 pm
I finally tried the Coffee Bourbon Milkshake. Yum! I made mine with a coconut gelato. I let the coffee infuse for too long … one month. So I would need to dilute it with straight bourbon to use it in cocktails, but it was great in the milkshake. Thanks for the recipe!
August 28, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Laurie, that’s great! Yes, the coffee flavor is pretty strong (which I think is what made it so good in the milkshake) but also, yes you could infuse for less time to help with that too. Using a coconut gelato in the milkshake sounds wonderful!
December 19, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Hi Alicia,
What brands do you recommend? I don’t have a lot to spend, is there a less expensive bourbon that still works well?
Thanks!
December 21, 2012 at 8:55 am
Hi Caitlyn, Jim Beam is a great bourbon for infusing. It is a reasonable price and does a great job. If you need something even cheaper, you could try Evan Williams. It infuses well, and is probably the cheapest that we would approve of.
August 3, 2013 at 11:22 am
Brilliant! I have a bunch of cocoa nibs looking to be used… maybe with some coffee bean! BTW – thanks for following my blog! Cheers
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October 17, 2013 at 3:18 pm
How about a blackberry infusion or a peach? I think a peach bourbon would go very well with a smooth drinking bourbon like buffalo trace. Opinions?
October 26, 2013 at 8:45 am
Hi Alex, Yes, blackberry or peach bourbon would both be absolutely delicious! I have made a white peach bourbon, and it was fantastic. I also made a marionberry (which is a bit of a varietal of blackberry) bourbon which was also wonderful. I have not infused with Buffalo Trace, but I know others have and enjoyed the results. Go for it!
Cheers~
October 26, 2013 at 2:06 pm
I’m about to try the apple pie infusion, which my brother introduced me to last year. One question though: should I heat sterilize the jar first? Seems like a silly question because of the alcohol content but I’d rather not guess. Thanks!
October 26, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Honestly, with the alcohol content as high as it is, I don’t always sterilize the jars. Just make sure it is really clean and dry (no water residue) before you start and it should be ok. Cheers~
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February 25, 2014 at 10:19 pm
Love your site. Just finished making a cherry walnut vanella bourbon and it is awesome!
March 10, 2014 at 8:44 pm
Thank you! And that infusion flavor combination sounds absolutely amazing!
March 9, 2014 at 9:05 pm
Hey! I’ve made a few of your infusions in the past, and I’m looking at infusing a recipe a friend gave me – hibiscus, jasmine, and mulling spices, except…she does it in amaretto, and I can’t stand amaretto. I’m not very familiar with bourbon, but do you think it would go well with hibiscus (the main flavour enhancer out of the mix)? I’m open to brandy or whisky as well, though, I infuse everything in brandy, and I was hoping to try something different!
Thanks!
March 10, 2014 at 8:53 pm
You could certainly try bourbon. When I look at your list of ingredients, I think I would try them in a nice, light rum. Do you like rum? I think they would also go great in brandy, but if you’re looking for something different, I think rum would be great. If you want it to taste similar to your friends, you could add a handful of almonds to give it a bit of amaretto flavor (but a GOOD amaretto flavor, not the sweet, fake almond flavor the you tend to get from a standard bottle of amaretto).
This list of ingredients really sounds interesting though! I would love to hear how it turns out!
March 11, 2014 at 7:21 pm
I do like rum, and I hadn’t thought of it before. I’m not a fan of white rum (think bacardi), but a light amber rum might not be a bad choice. I’ll go buy some tomorrow and let you know how it goes!
March 25, 2014 at 7:08 am
Did I never respond to this? Oops! I took your rum suggestion using Mount Gay Rum, and it’s happily infusing in my cupboard. I’ll post the recipe when it’s done, and let you know how it tastes 🙂
March 11, 2014 at 11:15 am
Just had the best drink ever while on vacation in North Carolina. It was called a Southern and used a ginger infused bourbon. Do you have a recipe for a ginger infused bourbon?
March 19, 2014 at 2:45 am
I work at a bar and I’m just now getting serious about the mixology side of this all, but my first foray into infusing is going to be a Lavender, Rose, Rye whiskey (Rye isn’t quite as sweet as bourbon and is significantly spicier). The vaguely sweet, floral smell and taste of the lavender and rose, I think, will pair very well with the spice of a rye whiskey. I’ll stop back by in a month to share my experience.
November 22, 2014 at 8:08 am
So I finally am getting around to responding to what I did! I added dried rose buds and lavender seeds to about 750 ml of Bulleit Rye whiskey. I added way to much rose and lavender but it still came out pretty great. I tried again recently with just 4 dried rose buds and maybe 10 to 15 lavender seeds. I let that soak for three days and it came out spectacular. I highly recommend it everyone!
November 23, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Thank Eli! Sounds tasty!
September 16, 2014 at 6:16 pm
Hi! Low the blog and now I am brewing some ideas of what to infuse my bourbon with. I’m new at this..so bear with me. I’m thinking peach cinnamon bourbon… Or butterscotch?! Have you used vanilla bean? Maybe even pear..with vanilla? Hahaha. Seriously though..I’m excited, but don’t know where to start. Someone asked about sterilizing the jar and you said it’s not necessary if it’s clean and dry? And when you put fruit in a jar of bourbon and let it sit in a cool dry place for a period of time…it doesn’t spoil?? Would it be ok in the fridge or does that not work? Thank you!!!
September 16, 2014 at 9:10 pm
Wow, lots of questions! All of the flavor combinations that you mention sound fantastic. If you are using enough bourbon (typically more volume than all other ingredients put together if using 80 proof liquor) the fruit shouldn’t spoil. It may darken, and you may not want to use it for other purposes. I only rarely use the fruit later. It would be fine in the refrigerator, but I don’t typically do that.
Cheers~
September 17, 2014 at 11:06 pm
Thank you! Sorry to bombard you with all the questions haha. One more…what are some of your preferred bourbon brands? You mentioned Jim Beam for something less expensive..I guess I could start there. 😉
September 20, 2014 at 9:21 am
I think Bourbon is really personal preference. We have a lot of local bourbons where I live, so I often enjoy one of those. I think Makers and Woodford are good, standard bourbons that are available everywhere. But I really don’t think it is necessary to splurge on anything nicer for infusing. As long as you are using something fairly decent, it infuses great. Whatever you are infusing with will impart a lot of flavor.
September 20, 2014 at 2:44 pm
How do you bottle these bourbon infusions properly?
November 16, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Hi Kristin,
I like to use a small-mouth funnel and pour them into a decorative bottle for gifting. You can really use any type of bottle that has a secure closure or cap. Specialty Bottle (online) has some nice options.
Cheers~
November 3, 2014 at 10:15 am
I have been contemplating for a while starting an infusion… I think I am going to use cranberries and cinnamon in Bourbon. It sounds very fall/wintery. I got the idea from a local bar… I can’t wait to try it!
November 16, 2014 at 4:47 pm
Yum! Cranberry-cinnamon bourbon sounds delicious!
Cheers~
November 23, 2014 at 9:57 pm
Any suggestions on which bourbon to infuse with?
November 25, 2014 at 7:11 pm
Hi Connie,
I like to infuse with Jim Beam. It is inexpensive, and I think it infuses really well. It mellows a lot and allows you to taste the infusing ingredient well, without losing the bourbon flavor. Many people like to infuse with Maker’s Mark, or Woodford, but I don’t think it is necessary. Maker’s Mark is nice, though if you want to spend a little more.
Cheers~
January 1, 2016 at 8:22 pm
I’ve done fig and pecan infusions (left in for various times to taste) with bourbon in the past. I agree that Jim Bean is a good, inexpensive bourbon to infuse – you never want to ruin a good bourbon. Think I’m going to try blackberry next. Thanks for the ideas!
February 16, 2016 at 9:06 pm
Thanks Tim!
March 10, 2017 at 6:33 pm
How did you store the bourbon while it steeped? I figure cold and dark is appropriate?
November 22, 2017 at 8:19 pm
Indeed! I keep the infusions in a dark closet. Cheers~
November 20, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans?
November 22, 2017 at 8:16 pm
You could use vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla beans. The flavor will be a little different but I think it would work just fine.