The Bourbon Expereince

Welcome to The Bourbon Playbook, where bourbon meets banter, and sports collide with signature cocktails! Join us as we fumble through bourbon rankings on our Essential 5 Scale, spotlight weekly pours, and share our legendary cocktail recipes. Whether you're here for whiskey wisdom, football fandom, or a sip of something bold, we’ve got you covered—one dram at a time. We may not be top-shelf podcasters, but hey, at least the bourbon is. Cheers to the journey! 🥃

Essential 5 Scale (E5)

The E5 Scale is a fun and approachable way to evaluate bourbons based on five key categories, each representing a unique drinking occasion or value:

  1. Daily Dram – Is it easy to sip and enjoyable for everyday drinking?

  2. Impress My Guests – Does it have the presentation or story to wow friends and visitors?

  3. Budget Blend – Is it affordable and versatile enough for cocktails?

  4. Saturday Night Sipper – Does it have the boldness and flavor for a special weekend treat?

  5. Precious Pour – Is it a rare or ultra-premium bourbon worth savoring on special occasions?

Each bourbon is rated across these categories, giving listeners a well-rounded view of where it shines and where it falls short.

Weekly Bourbons

Each week on The Bourbon Playbook, we take a deep dive into a featured bourbon, exploring its backstory, accolades, and unique flavors from nose to finish.

Using our signature E5 Scale, we rate how it fits into everything from daily sipping to impressing guests and special occasions. Along the way, we sprinkle in plenty of humor, spirited debates, and a healthy dose of banter—because what’s bourbon without a little fun?

We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take our pours seriously, even if we occasionally talk too much about our dogs, kids, and the Minnesota Vikings (sorry, not sorry).

Whether it’s spotlighting a new release, revisiting a classic, or trying to convince you that this is finally the Vikings’ year, we keep things entertaining and approachable.

Think of it as hanging out with your friends, but with better drinks and (probably) worse jokes. Cheers!

Signature Cocktails

Old Fashioned 🥃

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz bourbon (your favorite pour, but cask strength works wonders!)

  • 1 tbs of brown sugar

  • 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Orange peel (trace the rim & garnish)

  • Luxardo cherry (optional, for garnish)

Sit back, sip, and enjoy your perfectly balanced Old Fashioned!

Manhattan 🥃

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz bourbon (rye works too, but bourbon adds a rich, sweet profile)

  • 1 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica or Dolin Rouge for top-tier flavor)

  • 2 dashes Angostura bitters

  • Luxardo cherry (for garnish)

  • Orange peel, trace the rim and garnish