How to Mix or Blend Whiskey at Home | Daviess County Bourbon

While there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a stand-alone bottle, learning how to blend whiskey at home is the perfect way to elevate your spirits (both literally and figuratively) and transform your appreciation for whiskey into a delicious hobby.

Read on to learn how to mix or blend whiskey at home:

What is whiskey blending?

Before we start teaching you how to blend whiskey at home, let’s go over the basics of what this term means — and clear up a few common misconceptions. As you can probably guess, whiskey blending refers to combining two or more types of whiskey.

This technique has been used in Scotch production for centuries, but savvy bourbon makers (like our Master Distiller, John Rempe) have used it to make delicious bourbon in recent years. We combine a wheated bourbon with a ryed bourbon to craft perfectly balanced bottles of Daviess County Bourbon.

Whiskey blending should not be confused with “blended whiskey.” Which usually refers to a whiskey combined with additives or flavorings.

Now that you understand the idea behind whiskey blending, it’s time to learn how to mix up your own one-of-a-kind concoction at home.

How to Get Started

Blending your whiskey is a great way to use up the last few drops of a bottle, create something unique, and expand your awareness of the flavors in different variants.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Blending glass
Measuring device
Pen and paper
Glass storage container (an empty whiskey bottle is ideal)
Two or more bottles of Daviess County Bourbon

Once you’ve gathered your materials, follow these simple steps:

#1 – Consider Your Preferences and Goals — To decide the general direction of your blend, consider the general characteristics of whiskies you enjoy. Then, think about combining bottles you love to emphasize your favorite flavors.

#2 – Choose and Measure Your Base — Your base whiskey will make up the majority of your blend, so opt for one that contains flavors you love but that you’d like to enhance with additional notes. Measure as much as you’d like and add it to your clean mixing glass.

#3 – Add an Additional Whiskey (or Whiskies) — Keeping your flavor goals in mind, measure out a small amount of another whiskey you think will complement the base and add it to your mixing glass.

#4 – Taste and Perfect — Give your blend a good stir, taste, and adjust to your liking.

#5 – Store and Record — Store your blend in a glass bottle and record the exact ratios you used so you can refer back to it in your future blending endeavors. You can also skip storing it and get straight to drinking!

How to Set Your Blend Up for Success

Blending whiskey at home is easy, but you can take your custom creation from good to great by keeping the following tips in mind:

Use High-Quality Bourbon

Blending won’t fix lousy bourbon, so make sure all the components in your blend are high-quality. Any of the bottles from the Daviess County Bourbon collection fit the bill and are ideally suited for blending because of our unique finishes and variants.

Take Baby Steps

Less can actually be more when it comes to blending bourbon. Start by adding small amounts of additional whiskey to your base until you get the hang of it.

Be Precise

Blending whiskey is an art and a science, so measuring accurately is essential. Even just a few drops of a variant can alter the flavor of your blend, so be sure to track carefully.

Start with a Template

Using a template from Daviess County Bourbon can help you get started. Try making a blend we like to call “Creamy Caramel” with the following:

The result is a spiced and creamy blend with plenty of caramel to balance out the touch of cabernet.

Get Started with Daviess County Bourbon

We hope by now you’re ready to get blending! Pick up a few bottles of Daviess County Bourbon and get ready to take on one of the most enjoyable projects out there.

If you’re feeling inspired to learn more about what goes into blending whiskey on a professional scale, book a tour today and find out what makes the blend behind all of our bottles so unique.

THE MASH