Add more bourbon to your life with these 9 spiked and boozy foods and drinks

Like any true Southerner, bourbon is our preferred choice of liquor (at least most of the time). We’ll take it neat or mixed into an Old Fashioned.

But drinking isn’t the only way to enjoy this beloved liquor. The strong, smoky distinct flavor of bourbon can be found infused into a variety of snacks and drinks. Here are a few worth trying.

Cask Strength Bourbon Infused Coffee

Coffee with a splash of bourbon? We’ll take a cup of that, especially when it involves two homegrown Southern companies, North Carolina’s Southern Star distillery and Black Powder Roasting Company.

To make the boozy beans, Black Powder infuses the green coffee beans with Kentucky bourbon and then roasts it all low and slow. This process allows the coffee’s flavor profile to keep hints of bourbon even after it’s been brewed. And while we’re sorry to say that these temperatures evaporate all of the alcohol, you’ll still get to enjoy the flavor of the bourbon in each sip. Find it here.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Smoked Maple Syrup

Drizzling maple syrup on a towering stack of pancakes is one of the best ways to start your morning. To start your day off even better, swap out your ordinary Grade A for the barrel smoked maple syrup from Tippleman’s, a cocktail syrup manufacturer in Charleston. We especially love this second syrup, which is slowly smoked over pieces of Willett bourbon barrels for a pancake topping with subtle smokiness and a buttery, vanilla-hinted flavor. Find it here.

Bourbon Infused Beer

One of the best ways to enjoy warm Southern weather is sitting on a front porch sipping on an ice-cold beer, especially if that beer is rich in bourbon flavor. The Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale from Alltech Lexington Brewing features flavors of bourbon, vanilla and oak, and is aged for up to six weeks in freshly decanted Kentucky bourbon barrels. And Southern Pine’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged German Chocolate Cake Stout tastes like a chocolate cake that’s been soaked in bourbon. 

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention Goose Island’s highly-anticipated Bourbon County stouts, which have intense flavors of chocolate, caramel, smoke, vanilla and charred oak. 

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel Cherries

Forget about bright-neon-colored maraschino cherries and start using these bourbon-soaked cherries the next time you want a Manhattan. Soaked in Kentucky’s own Woodford Reserve bourbon, the deep red cherries make the perfect garnish for a cocktail or as a topping on ice cream (or any dessert, really). Get them here.

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling

Making a homemade pecan pie takes time and patience, but with this pecan pie filling, you’ll cut down on time without sacrificing any flavor. Loaded with the rich flavors of pecans, brown sugar and a generous pour of Kentucky bourbon, this filling tastes as good as homemade. Buy it here.

CaJohns Bourbon-Infused Hot Sauce

CaJohns Fiery Food is an Ohio-based company that specializes in hot sauce, salsas and spice mixes inspired by the flavors of the Gulf Coast and Southwest. The bourbon chipotle habanero hot sauce is infused with Jim Beam Black Bourbon and boasts a smoky kick. Get it here.

'Bourbon Me Bourbon' Caramel Sauce

Southerners know that a splash of bourbon makes everything a little better. Lick My Spoon’s “Bourbon Me Bourbon” caramel sauce is another example of how to sneak a little something extra into your dessert bowl.

Along with Kentucky bourbon, the sauce has a hint of fleur de sel and Madagascar vanilla to balance out the boozy notes. This sauce is a great topping for ice cream, but you can also drizzle it over pancakes and crepes or use it as a dip for apples or bananas. Get it here.

Bourbon Bears from Sugarfina

Southern Kitchen loves its Sugarfina gummy bears. While we usually stock the “Rosé All Day” and Champagne flavors, we are also known to take down their tequila grapefruit sours and peach bellini gummies. Indeed, the company has created a number of booze-flavored candies, including bourbon bears. They might be sweet, but that kick of Kentucky bourbon at the end makes them a standout. Buy them here.

Bourbon Brittle

Can't find a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle to fit your budget? How about some Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Brittle? If you like your bourbon with chocolate, you could also try this Bourbon Nib Brittle, featuring cacao beans aged in bourbon barrels from some of the finest distilleries in the South. Buy it here.

Southern Kitchen editor Mackensy Lunsford contributed to this story.