13 Best Bourbons For A Kentucky Mule

While plenty of cocktail drinkers have Moscow Mules on their regular drinking rotation, far too many people forget about its bourbon-based cousin. The Kentucky Mule swaps vodka for bourbon, and it's a cocktail you should definitely keep on your radar. Made with bourbon, ginger beer, and lime juice, it's a delicious, easy-drinking beverage you can make yourself or order at a bar all year long. Most bars serve mules in festive copper mugs, which makes them as fun as they are delicious.

Since this cocktail only features three simple ingredients, selecting the right bourbon to use as the base is crucial if you want a beverage that lives up to its full potential. You don't need to use a super expensive bottle, but we don't recommend using bottom-of-the-line bourbon, either. The secret to a good Kentucky Mule is to select a bottle that features flavors that enhance the other ingredients, while also packing enough of a punch to prevent the bourbon from being completely overpowered.

We've made plenty of Kentucky Mules in our day as a bartender (and we've worked in bars with extensive bourbon collections), so we're here to teach you how to find the best option for your next Kentucky Mule. Whether you want something heavy on rye and spice, or something smooth and subtle, we've got you covered with plenty of options at a variety of price points. 

You can think of this one as a "jack of all trades" option since it's great in pretty much any bourbon-drinking-related context. You can drink it on the rocks, mix it with soda, knock it back as a shot, and of course, use it as the base for a tasty Kentucky Mule. It's also equally as crowd-pleasing as it is versatile since, in our opinion, it's what most people think about when they think about the flavor of a good, standard bourbon.

Bulleit is great in a mule since it's another high-rye option. The noticeable touch of spicy character helps it stand up to the other (potentially overpowering) ingredients in a Kentucky Mule. It's bold enough to retain its presence in the drink, but still mellow enough to keep things quaffable. We also enjoy the woody notes and touch of toffee you can find in this bottle. 

We can almost guarantee that no one will protest a Kentucky Mule made with Bulleit Bourbon, so it's one of the safest choices out there if you're making cocktails for a crowd. Plus, if you're hosting a party and someone wants their whiskey neat rather than in a cocktail, you can feel proud pouring them a dram of this, too.

If you want a Kentucky Mule that's a little richer and sweeter, we recommend opting for Michter's Bourbon as your base. Michter's is another solid option when you want something that falls in the middle of the road in terms of price, but that tastes incredible in a cocktail. This bottle is heavy on the notes of caramel and vanilla, but it also retains its nuance with hints of fruit, smoke, and wood.

Michter's prides itself on being "small batch" since each tank can only hold a maximum of twenty barrels (which isn't that many for a large brand, and for a bottle at a reasonable price point). It's also a great buy if you want to start building your at-home whiskey collection since it's a staple for many bourbon lovers. Don't hesitate to drink it on the rocks or in a smooth Old Fashioned. We also love Michter's Rye, so consider adding a bottle of that to your collection while you're at it.

This bottle is a secret weapon for cocktail bars and cocktail bartenders. Why? Because it's great in a cocktail, and it's an extremely affordable option that tastes more expensive than it is when used correctly. If you ask us, using this in a Kentucky Mule is a great way to go if you want something economical and delicious.

Old Forester 86 gets the number in its name from its proof, which rings in at 86% ABV. The brand also makes a 100-proof option, but we like the mellow quality of the 86 version better in the context of a Kentucky Mule. It's not quite as punchy, but it helps keep things easy-drinking.

The flavor of this one is woody, with prominent hints of spice from the rye in the mashbill. You can also taste subtle hints of vanilla and orange. It's a little 'hot' to drink on its own if you don't want to throw back a shot, so you're probably better off sticking to cocktails or mixed drinks for this one.

Let's get something out of the way: Not everyone likes Basil Hayden. In fact, the brand can be a downright polarizing topic in the world of whiskey. While we completely respect everyone's opinion, this is a perfectly good option to use in a Kentucky Mule in ours. Some people rail against its "basic" nature, but sometimes you just need something simple and good. It may not be particularly unique, but it is a high-rye option, which (as you've probably noticed by now) we're fans of in the context of a Kentucky Mule.

Basil Hayden rings in at 80-proof, which adds to the drinkable nature of this bottle. It's a good option for people who aren't usually bourbon fans, but who want to indulge in a good bourbon-based cocktail. Finally, it's a great choice if you're making Kentucky Mules at home since it's a respectable choice to drink on its own, and we usually wouldn't recommend buying a whole bottle just to make a few cocktails unless it's something really special.

Elijah Craig works well in a Kentucky Mule because it features a unique, complex array of flavors that help prevent the cocktail from tasting flat. You won't get a one-noted mule when you opt for this bottle since it offers a nice balance of sweet, savory, and earthy notes.

The hints of oak and spice complement the zesty kick of the ginger beer, while the caramel and vanilla notes act as a balancing foil. The result is a Kentucky Mule that's layered and interesting, while still serving as a crowd-pleasing cocktail option.

Elijah Craig calls itself a "small batch" bourbon since it makes its product in smaller quantities than some distillers. It's also called the "Father of Bourbon" since it was the first brand to char oak barrels, which is a process that enhances the overall flavor. The brand has several varieties to choose from, but we like the classic Elijah Craig Small Batch best for a Kentucky Mule.

It's hard not to like Knob Creek, as it's the perfect example of what a rich, sweet bourbon should taste like. We think it's another option that falls into the "jack-of-all-trades" category, since you can drink it neat, in a cocktail, or in a mixed drink. It's a good option to have up your sleeve since everywhere from cocktail bars to dive bars tend to stock it, and you won't have to search long for this one at your local liquor store.

We're also fans of the heavy wood notes you'll taste in Knob Creek since they lend a nice added layer of flavor to a mule. At 100-proof, the flavor won't get lost or overpowered by the other ingredients, but it still goes down smoothly. We're also big fans of the brand's rye, so consider picking up a bottle of that if you really want to double down on the spice in your next Kentucky Mule.