Celebrate Bourbon Day on June 14th with a Cocktail Recipe for a Twisted Bourbon Sidecar

By MENU Magazine

June 2, 2021

Operators, grab your best American spirits off the shelf and get those portable beverage containers stocked and ready, Bourbon Day is coming on June 14th.

As an already established beverage holiday, Bourbon Day is the perfect opportunity in June for bars and restaurants to capitalize upon by making up for sales previously lost to provincial restrictions and a lack of dine-in or in-bar seating.

Celebrated by spirits lovers and connoisseurs among bars and restaurants across Canada, Bourbon Day is about more than just your adult consumers drinking at home. It’s a unified celebration and valuable promotion without requiring businesses to stray too far from typical takeout offerings.

On the consumer side, this particular holiday allows Canadians to support their local eateries and drinking holes via takeout and delivery in satisfying their bourbon needs, rather than making the usual later trip to the liquor store. Bourbon Day also happens to land on the last Monday of not-summer, and what better way to kick off everyone’s favourite season than with a sweet glass of this spirit?

What excites me, and our on-premise partners so much, is the growing versatility, flexibility, and vast appeal of Woodford Reserve and Bourbon in general. For the longest time brown spirits and more so, American Whiskey, were thought of in the cooler months of the year – but no longer! There is such diversity in aroma, flavour and character that come through in Woodford Reserve Bourbon that we are seeing deliciously refreshing spring and summer time cocktails being served up at bars and restaurants across Canada. In the summer time we say yes to sours, fizzes and juleps of course – but also lower ABV, full flavour high balls, tiki drinks and even slushies with Woodford Reserve as the star of the show!– Michael Fortier (he/him), Senior Advocacy and Engagement Manager for Herradura Tequila and Woodford Reserve at The Hive Inc.,

In the days leading up to Bourbon Day, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States behind the online platform Cheers! American Spirits will be supporting Canadian establishments in preparation for the spirited occasion through their Bourbon Day portal.

In addition to sharing education on American spirits and Bourbon Day promotional inspiration, Cheers! Is also hosting an online interactive map which bars and restaurants can register their locations and bourbon promotions for, all free of charge. This map will allow consumers across the country to easily find participating locations and specials closest to them by simply punching in their postal code.

As for what to serve on Bourbon Day, Cheers! encourages creativity and collaboration between bars, kitchens and even suppliers in creating specials consumers will truly enjoy celebrating with. Cocktail kits, single bottles, food pairings and virtual events, such as online tastings or meet and greets with distillers or beverage experts, are just some of the ideas that can easily align with foodservice establishments of many flavours and themes.

Plus, with beverage holidays, you don’t have to limit your promotions to one date. Consider it a kick-off to a bourbon-focused week, should your business’ demographic, or most busy sales dates, call for it.

For more Bourbon Day information and resources for your business, visit cheersspiritsfromtheusa.com