Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail

Vibrant, citrusy, and perfectly smooth. This blood orange bourbon cocktail is a bold twist on a classic whiskey sour. The sweet-tart flavor of blood orange juice pairs wonderfully with deep rich bourbon!

My all time favorite cocktail is the old fashioned. It’s a simple drink that when prepared correctly it truly magical! There’s something about the play of orange and bourbon that just works together.  

During the holiday season, I created cranberry orange bourbon concoction. It was such a hit with friends, that I figured a Valentine’s Day version would be very much welcomed!

This blood orange bourbon cocktail is similar to a whiskey sour. A sour mixed drink combines base spirit with citrus and sweetener.

Not only is this cocktail quite the eye-catcher, it’s light and refreshing! 

Ingredients

A handful of key simple ingredients are needed to make this delicious bourbon drink.

Blood orange season runs from late autumn to spring. If you can’t find any fresh blood oranges, swap in whatever orange you happen to have. The cocktail won’t be as bright red, but it will be just as delicious. Fresh squeezed blood orange juice is highly recommended!

For the best cocktails, always, always, always use fresh squeezed lime juice. Fresh juice doesn’t compared to the bottled stuff.

Fresh raspberries further enhance the sweet and tart flavors of the cocktail, while also adding to the bright red color. This recipe also works with strawberries.

Use bourbon or whiskey. Four Roses sent me their new Single Barrel Bourbon. It works wonderfully in this recipe. It has a sweet, oaky aroma. The bourbon is mellow enough to drink neat, yet strong enough to stand out in a mixed drink.

Homemade ginger syrup lightly sweetens the cocktail. The ginger adds another dimension of flavor. However, you may use regular (plain) simple syrup as well!

To further mellow out the drink, add a splash for sparkling water or club soda. Experiment with flavored sparking water (such as La Croix, Sprindrift, or Waterloo).

How to Make Ginger Syrup

All you need are three ingredients: water, sugar, and fresh ginger.

Peel ginger skin, then sliced into disks. Combine water, sugar, and sliced ginger in a small pot. Bring to boil and cook until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and steep ginger. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Then, strain out ginger. Keep ginger simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. Use extra ginger simple to sweetened coffee, tea, or oatmeal!

Serving Suggestions

Recipe below makes one serving. Easily scale the drink to make a large batch for parties and gatherings.

To make a large batch: mix together all the ingredients (except the sparkling water) in a large pitcher. Keep covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Stir well before serving. Top each serving with sparkling water.

This is best served ice cold. Ideally, serve over one large ice cube to keep it chilled without diluting the flavors. Garnish with additional fresh raspberries, blood orange slice, or a twist of orange peel for a festive finishing touch.

More Blood Orange Drinks

• Blood Orange Elderflower Gin Cocktail
• Blood Orange Margarita
• Orange Vanilla Mulled WIne
• Blood Orange Limeade

Disclosure: Four Roses Bourbon provided me with products to create this recipe.