skip to main content

Looking for Bourbon suggestions

rob333 (zone 7b)

last year

last modified: last year

I have two recipes I want to make pretty soon. One is a bourbon caramel sauce that I want to drizzle on pumpkin pie, or under it, alongside it... Somehow. I've got the recipe, I hope to use the leftover for spiked hot chocolate. But maybe two different ones might be better?

I'm not a bourbon drinker, so lay it on me! My adult child worked at a liquor store for one summer, and I remember that bourbon drinkers are really particular about their bourbon. That, I know. I'm just looking for a good pairing or two.

Thanks!

https://www.justataste.com/bourbon-caramel-sauce-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-58836

https://cookienameddesire.com/bourbon-spiked-hot-chocolate-recipe/#recipe

Featured Answer

rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author

last year

last modified: last year

I was hoping to find the mid-range one to start with, which sounds like Maker's Mark, for the sauce. I'll just keep the rest and use it only for cooking.

But I do think I'll go with a different one to try with the hot chocolate, since I'll be drinking it.

P.S. thanks for the bump☺️

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

plllog
last year
In a similar situation, I was at Trader Joe's and chose the bottle of bourbon which had the easiest to store bottle and most attractive label. I've made caramel sauce, added it to a pie, and something else. I don't care for bourbon to drink, but it's very nice in the baked goods. I'm telling you this mostly to bump your thread...
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked plllog
gyr_falcon
last year
last modified: last year
I use Marker's Mark for cooking. It is smooth and hints sweet, but the bourbon flavor isn't overpowering. It is generally thought of as being good quality without a high price and it is widely available. But I don't drink it and am not in any way an expert on bourbons.
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked gyr_falcon
Related Discussions
Why not Bourbons?
Q
Comments (27)
Daisy, In my part of California we have a dry warm summer and cool sometimes rainy winter, but much less of the cool fog influence Jerijen has. Quite different roses do well for me than do for her. I grow several Bourbons successfully with only a single winter spray. They are Louise Odier, Honorine de Brabant, and Deuil de Dr Reynaud. DeDR gets a fair amount of powdery mildew some years late in the summer, and LO gets that cane dieback that some Bourbons seem to get. HdB doesn't get anything here. Funny as it seems I had very poor luck with Souvenir de Malmaison. My first (own root) plant proliferated with every rose it ever bore. I culled it and tried again, this time with a grafted plant that may have been virused. That one got some hideous creeping crud disease and I threw it away in horror. You might also want to consider some of the more disease resistant of the hybrid perpetuals. I was hesitant to try them but they now number among my favorite roses. Rosefolly
...See More
soil preference for HPs and Bourbons
Q
Comments (9)
Thanks, all. That's exactly what I was trying to figure out. My potting soil is pretty rich and I do mix in E.B Stone compost and a little bone and blood meal. I only pot up the bands for their first season until they're big enough for the "wild world" out there in the yard with the exception of the ones that go to bigger pots. Rosefolly, I'll work on the manure thing, I can get as much fresh as I want, but I have to wait on the compost. Jeri, I can only hope my FP turns out that nice...sorry yours is gone. My tiny versions of your namesake are doing really well though! Roserich, congrats on your happy, healthy HPs. I fed and watered mine today, and I'm going to gradually try giving them even more attention than the others. I have them situated in 3gal pots so that they get sun all day until the later afternoon, when a stand of sunflowers blocks the worst of it. I arranged them so the pots don't have the sun beating on them, either. Louise is the tiniest (Heirloom)and she's quite healthy and putting out a little growth. ZJW, thanks also. I think you all must be doing everything right, so I'm going to take your advice. I sort of "wondered" about SdDJ when I got it, but I've had other sketchy-looking ones that lived. That Francis Dubreuil/Barcelona I got from RVR loves to eat too, grows like gangbusters, and has already made 4 blooms. Go figure. Thanks again everybody!
...See More
LOOKING for: Looking for: Suggestions to compliment lasagna pot
Q
Comments (2)
Thanks Gardenlad: The antipasto platter sounds like a great suggestion. Think I'll consider coming up w/ something along that line. Happy holidays!
...See More
I am looking for extra Daltile Bourbon Street tile 12x12.
Q
Comments (0)
I need to replace at least 3 tiles. Need extra Daltile Bourbon Street 12 x 12 tiles. Thanks
...See More
foodonastump
last year
last modified: last year
I was never a huge bourbon drinker, but my thoughts went straight to Makers Mark as well. I find it a solid choice to have on hand: Smooth, no specific strong notes that might disrupt a recipe. It won't excite bourbon aficionados but it shouldn't offend their palates either. Reasonably priced.

I’d discourage you from mixing and matching for the same reasons I recommend MM as a safe choice. You’re looking for a tablespoon of bourbon flavor, not some strong, distinct flavor profile.
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked foodonastump
LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
last year
last modified: last year
Ole Smoky brand makes a Salted Caramel Bourbon that's pretty good. Made right in your backyard.
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
Eileen
last year
last modified: last year
We tried a couple of bourbons in the past year or two. I don't like bourbon because of the oakiness, and Maker's Mark seemed the most oaky to me, so we never bought it again.

Of the ones mentioned in this article, we've had Knob Creek (not the maple), Buffalo Trace, and Bulleit. I preferred all of them over MM.

I never tasted all the wonderful fall spices, vanilla, blah blah blah that they claim bourbon has. I did add bourbon to a dessert once and ruined it, so go very light.

https://www.tastingtable.com/1383433/best-bourbons-baking/
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked Eileen
JoanM
last year
My brother in law has been collecting Bourbons and Whiskeys for quite a few years now. I posed the question to him to please recommend a midrange bourbon for a caramel sauce recipe and a spiked hot chocolate recipe. His reply.

He says you can’t go wrong with Elijah Craig or makers mark #46 and you should invite us over to try it. LOL
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
last year
Sounds like a reciprocal sort of deal. Come on over!
Eileen
last year
Elijah Craig is recommended for chocolate desserts in the article I posted. I've seen EC recommended on many websites but haven't tried it.
HU-96783364
last year
After making the caramel sauce, I suggest trying the bourbon variation of the sweet potato recipe in the link below. (I'm Alice in MD in that thread and we are still making that recipe frequently.)

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2499195/opinions-needed-on-a-sweet-potato-recipe-please#n=11
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
last year
Reporting back! Maker's Mark is absolutely perfect for the caramel sauce. Or it's just a good recipe.

Alice, I only thought of barbecue sauce, but that's a good suggestion

Related Stories

ARCHITECTURE Look Beyond the House to Find a Home

By Laura Gaskill

See how clever homeowners have put down stakes in a lighthouse, train depot, church, bourbon distillery, barn and missile silo

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 6 Suggestions for Harmonious Hardscaping

Help a sidewalk, driveway or path flow with your garden design, for a cohesive and pleasing look

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Nature Suggests a Toronto Home’s Palette

By Annie Thornton

Birch forests and rocks inspire the colors and materials of a Canadian designer’s townhouse space

DECORATING GUIDES Those Built-Ins Are Going to Look Smashing in Color

By Janell Beals - House of Fifty

Painting cabinetry in striking hues can bring focus and personality to a room

WINDOW TREATMENTS The Art of the Window: How to Embrace the Layered Look

By Jess McBride

Here are 12 ideas for using layered window treatments to add warmth, texture and style to your rooms

KITCHEN DESIGN Expert Talk: 12 Ways to Get a Designer-Kitchen Look

By Lawrence Karol

Professional designer Ines Hanl reveals her thought processes on select kitchen remodels

EVENTS Textile Trends Look to a More Sustainable Future

By Thomas Helbing

New approaches to design are highlighted in a seminar previewing the 2021 Heimtextil trade fair

KITCHEN MAKEOVERS Kitchen of the Week: Refined Details Create a Classic Look

By Becky Harris

A designer carefully edits a kitchen to highlight graceful curves, pleasing proportions and a big backyard view

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Taking on the Ruins of an 1800s Bourbon Distillery

By Mitchell Parker

Crumbling stone walls and wood from former tobacco barns creates a stunning new home amid rolling Kentucky farmland

UNIVERSAL DESIGN What to Look for in a House if You Plan to Age in Place

By Laura Gaskill

Look for details like these when designing or shopping for your forever home

Sponsored

Foremost Siding & Exterior Design Solutions in Columbus

More Discussions

Sigh. I bought some ice cream...

16

Salt, just a little pinch

30

Smile of the Day

6

Hasselback Plum Tomato Caprese

17

Favorite fruits and recipes… berries included

9