whiskey

You do not need a crowded bar cart to make a good drink at home. Five well-chosen bottles, a few everyday fridge and pantry extras and one simple plan can take you from a crisp Gin & Tonic to a Negroni, Manhattan or Whiskey Sour without buying a bottle for every recipe.

Four ingredients. Four equal pours. The Paper Plane is bright, bittersweet and polished enough to feel like a proper bar cocktail — but the 1:1:1:1 formula makes it almost impossible to forget.

A recipe says “2 dashes of bitters” — but how much is that, and does one extra dash really matter? Start with two, then use this simple 1–2–3 guide to taste what changes.

A Whiskey Highball is only whiskey, soda and ice — which is exactly why the ratio matters. Start at 1:2 for a bolder pour or 1:3 for a lighter, crisper drink, then use our tiny side-by-side test to find your favorite.

Bourbon, fresh lemon and honey syrup are all you need for a Gold Rush. Start with one dependable ratio, then adjust the honey in small steps to make it drier, softer or richer without losing the whiskey underneath.

Three ingredients, one elegant glass—and just enough room to make it yours. Start with the classic 2:1 Manhattan, then learn exactly what to change if it tastes too sweet, too sharp or simply flat.

Apple cider cocktails do not have to taste like liquid pie. One carton, three bottles and seven easy drinks can take you from bright and fizzy to cozy and spirit-forward — without piling on the sugar.

Kentucky Bourbon Festival is less like one giant tasting and more like a temporary little bourbon world: distillers, tiny pours, rare bottles, live conversations, food and whiskey history all meeting in Bardstown. Here is what the festival actually is, why it matters and how to enjoy the idea without trying to taste everything.

Bourbon has a talent for making beginners feel like they need the right bottle, glass and vocabulary. You do not. One bottle, three small pours and a little water are enough to find the way you actually like to drink it.