Bourbon + bitters = passable rye substitute?

[mbanu]

Given a distinct lack of good rye where I live and an overwhelming amount of good bourbon, I've been attempting to use my mixological skills to coax bourbon into doing things which it normally dislikes to do. Not to imply that bourbon is an inferior choice stacked up against a rye of similar quality, they simply have different flavor profiles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

While deconstructing old recipes where bourbon was switched for rye but still seemed to work, one thing I noticed that wasn't quite so common in the rye originals was the addition of bitters.

So I started experimenting and noticed that with the addition of bitters, many drinks which "just didn't taste the same" without rye suddenly worked much nicer. :)

Bourbon & Ginger Ale? Drinkable I guess, but there's something about bourbon that just seems to resent carbonation I've noticed. Nothing that will ruin the drink, mind you, just something not quite right. Add some bitters to the drink and the complaints seem to vanish.

Bourbon Manhattan? Ok, I guess, but nothing to write home about like a good Rye Manhattan. But add some bitters, and suddenly it's got its groove back.

Homemade Rock & Rye? Love the stuff. Too bad it's not still considered good for you when you have a head cold. Bourbon liqueur is great stuff, but it has a different flavor profile entirely. Doesn't have the same spicy backbone. Add some bitters though, and suddenly we're back in business .

But then on the other hand, I could just be so wrapped up in my "tasting discovery" that I'm seeing things that aren't really there, so I thought I'd check in with the folks here. Has anyone here had any success subsituting bourbon & bitters for rye in any of the old rye recipes? Or not so much?

Edited July 27, 2005 by mbanu (log)