Yellowstone bourbon is perfect for holiday dishes

Bourbon Whiskey Holiday Food Recipes 

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You likely already have a few favorite whiskey-based holiday cocktails. Bourbon is an excellent addition to eggnog or mulled cider. And you can’t have a hot toddy without whiskey. However, as you begin planning your holiday party menus, cocktail in hand, consider splashing a little whiskey into your favorite Yuletide recipes, too.  

Here are some of our favorite holiday food recipes to make with bourbon whiskey. 

Read more: Bourbon Whiskey Holiday Food Recipes 

A Spirited Appetizer to Get the Party Started 

Call them what you want, “nippy franks” or “lil’ smokies,” these bite-sized sausages are always a hit appetizer at parties and gatherings. Next time you make up a batch, try kicking them up a notch with this recipe: 

INGREDIENTS 

DIRECTIONS 

Cook your cocktail franks according to the package’s directions. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and simmer until the brown sugar dissolves. Then, combine and serve. Maybe make a double batch… 

A Holiday-Worthy Ham 

Bourbon goes perfectly with the smokiness of ham. Add in some orange and brown sugar, and you’ve got yourself a flavor explosion. 

INGREDIENTS 

Combine the ingredients and glaze your ham during the cooking process, applying a coat every 15 minutes or so.  

Not Your Average Canned Cranberries 

If you’re a little bored of your average canned cranberries, upgrade this classic holiday side with a bit of booze. Making cranberry sauce from scratch is easy and requires cooking fresh cranberries with sugar and water until thickening. For the best cranberry sauce you’ve ever had, switch out the water for Yellowstone Bourbon. 

INGREDIENTS 

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries 
  • ½ cup water or orange juice 

DIRECTIONS 

On the stovetop, dissolve the sugar in your liquid ingredients at medium heat and then add the cranberries. Cook until the cranberries begin to break down, then lower the heat and cook until thickened. Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat; it will thicken further as it cools. 

A Classic Southern Dessert (Whiskey Required!) 

Channel that Kentucky bourbon spirit when you make a classic Southern dessert staple you’ll find at any holiday party in the Bluegrass State: pecan pie. Adding a shot of bourbon to pecan pie makes for more decadent, complex flavors.  

INGREDIENTS 

  • An unbaked, refrigerated pie crust (or one from scratch if you’re adventurous) 
  • 1 cup brown sugar 
  • 1 cup corn syrup 
  • ¼ cup melted butter 
  • 3 beaten eggs  
  • A shot of Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (or more to taste) 
  • A pinch of salt 
  • 1 ¼ cup pecans (chopped or halved, whatever your preference) 

DIRECTIONS 

Spread the pecans over the bottom of your pie crust. Mix all other ingredients and pour over the pecans, then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the edges of the pie turn golden brown. Let the pie cool until it sets.  

Stock Your Bar Cart (and Your Kitchen!) Before the Holidays Hit 

Whether you plan on adding bourbon to your favorite holiday recipes or you simply want to enjoy some classic Thanksgiving and Christmas cocktails, be sure you’re stocked with your favorite whiskeys before the holiday rush begins.  

Find Yellowstone Bourbon and other Limestone Branch Distillery spirits at a store near you.