17 Best Bourbon Appetizers For Any Occasion

We’re here to share these best bourbon appetizers with you! Get ready to make a few of these bourbon-infused starters for the upcoming party or dinner at home.

Bourbon is an American whiskey primarily made from corn. 

This barrel-aged distilled drink is a native spirit to the United States and a famous whiskey in global markets. 

Compared to other styles of whiskey, bourbon has a much sweeter flavor, offering notes of oak, caramel, and vanilla flavors. 

This sets bourbon apart from other whiskey variations, which is also attributed to the presence of malted barley in bourbon recipes, providing the malty, toasty, and floral flavor profiles.

Different bourbon brands may also include a variety of flavors into the recipes, such as pushing cinnamon forward or nutmeg bold flavors into their mix. 

These pleasant combinations of tastes provide smooth notes that make bourbon a tasty drink to be enjoyed on the rocks or neat. 

Bourbon’s deliciousness is also a great reason why this whiskey is often included as a unique added element to many dishes, as it can add layers of complexity and flavor.  

The flavors in bourbon can complement and intensify the richness of many delicious bites, which is why bourbon appetizers should be an option as you head towards that special cocktail hour. 

The #15 Bacon Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites With Strawberries option is a remarkable combination of flavors that can genuinely surprise you! 

1. Baked Honey Bourbon Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are always a great appetizer for parties and gatherings and are a go-to option to be enjoyed while watching the action on any Game Day. 

These Baked Honey Bourbon Chicken Wings are absolute perfection, with these bites being sweet, spicy, and full of flavor. 

This recipe uses honey bourbon, lemon juice, and different dry spices to make a delicious marinade to coat the chicken before it is baked in the oven. 

The cooking process makes the chicken golden brown, with the right char and burnt bits to make it more delectable. 

2. Maple Bourbon Candied Bacon

The wonder of bacon can often leave anyone in awe, especially when it’s made with a combination you would least expect. 

This Maple Bourbon Candied Bacon is an absolute treat, highlighting the flavors of peppered pork bacon sliced thick by coating it in a glaze made with brown sugar, bourbon, and pure maple syrup. 

Baking these beautiful bites allow the maple bourbon glaze to caramelize, while some burnt bacon ends to add more to the complexity of flavors. 

These delicious candied bacon bites harden slightly after reaching room temperature, making them a great bite-size snack or appetizer.

3. Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites

These Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites are delicious appetizers that highlight Southern cuisine. 

This recipe combines the textures and flavors from flaky phyllo cups, creamy brie cheese, and nutty pecans that have been spiced and sweetened with brown sugar and bourbon. 

It’s made by combining roasted pecans, brown sugar, bourbon, and butter to create a bourbon pecan mixture which is added to the bite-sized phyllo shells with a cube of brie cheese. 

These are then baked until the cheese becomes bubbly and melted to produce an incredible treat packed with a lot of flavor and texture.

4. Bourbon Dogs

If you’re looking for a quick and easy appetizer recipe that can impress your guests, then these Bourbon Dogs are your option. 

These bite-sized smoked sausages are made even tastier as it is simmered into a special bourbon-based sauce that adds layers of flavors. 

The sauce combines ketchup, dark brown sugar, grated onion, and bourbon into a pan that simmers with the sausages for about an hour. 

The result is a delicious bite of smokey, sweet, and tangy goodness.

5. Bourbon Brie Flatbread With Fig Jam & Prosciutto

This Bourbon Brie Flatbread With Fig Jam & Prosciutto is an excellent starter dish, providing sweet and savory flavors that can be mouthwatering. 

Unleavened flatbread highlights the added ingredients, allowing you to enjoy the sweetness from the fig jam and the smoky finish of the smoky bourbon creme de brie cheese spread. 

Top it all off with some thyme leaves and crumbled prosciutto for that brininess, and cut it all up into bite-sized portions so you can immediately serve it to your anticipating guests.

6. Bourbon-Infused Cranberry Goat Cheese Bites

This crowd-pleasing recipe is a great holiday appetizer, providing toasty and tangy flavors with simple ingredients. 

This Bourbon-Infused Cranberry Goat Cheese Bite is a light treat made with a bourbon-cranberry mix that’s sweet and soft, packed into phyllo cups or puff pastries to create mini bites of deliciousness. 

Bourbon-infused cranberries are made by combining bourbon, cranberries, and brown sugar that simmer in a saucepan for 10 minutes. 

These luscious cups are sweet, creamy, and tart, providing different flavors and textures from each ingredient in every bite.

7. Bacon Wrapped Shrimp With Bourbon Glaze

This powerhouse recipe combines two absolute crowd favorites, crispy bacon, and plump shrimp. 

This Bacon Wrapped Shrimp is made even better with a simple bourbon-infused brown sugar glaze that adds layers of flavor! 

Shrimp that’s lightly seasoned and fresh is wrapped with par-cooked bacon, then glazed with the brown sugar-bourbon mix, creating a glossy lacquer on the bacon as it caramelizes in the oven. 

This produces a scrumptious and juicy bite of shrimp and bacon packed with so much yumminess.

8. Bourbon Pulled Pork Sliders

One of the best finger food options you can ever make is this Bourbon Pulled Pork Slider with a pleasant aromatic kick from paprika-onion blend. 

Pork cooked low and slow creates the juiciest and most tender pulled pork, combined with bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and ketchup.

The tender pork is placed into slider buns and then served with homemade coleslaw or extra BBQ sauce.

9. Bourbon Meatballs

Bourbon Meatballs are great additions to any cocktail party, with these delicious balls providing luscious sensations with each bite. 

These meatballs are made with a combination of ground beef and pork, making them moist and tender while keeping them packed with plenty of flavors. 

The highlight of this recipe is the sweet, spicy, and tangy bourbon sauce, which is made by combining apricot, brown sugar, chili sauce, bourbon, barbecue sauce, molasses, and water all in a skillet to simmer until it thickens. 

The combination of meatballs drenched in the bourbon sauce provides a savory and mouthwatering option that will surely please everyone. 

10. Bourbon Bacon Jam Crescent Rolls

These rolls aren’t just your basic delectable treats, as it combines bacon and bourbon into a jam that’s so savory and satisfying! 

The highlight of this recipe is a bourbon-bacon jam made by sauteeing bacon first, which is added into a simmering combination of maple syrup, bourbon, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, and vinegar for 10 minutes until it becomes sticky. 

The special jam is added onto a triangle-shaped dough with a chunk of softened Brie cheese, topped with rosemary and black pepper, which are rolled to form crescent-shaped rolls. 

These oven-baked bites turn into crowd-pleasing appetizers that you should certainly try.

11. Slow-Cooker Bourbon Cocktail Sausages

This delicious sausage appetizer recipe is easy and convenient, utilizing a slow cooker to infuse all the flavors from the ingredients. 

You’ll first need to cook smoked sausages on a pan until they’ve browned before adding them to a slow cooker with chili sauce, brown sugar, bourbon, and onions. 

Cook the sausages on low heat for up to 3 hours, as the sauce slowly thickens to a delicious consistency.

12. Bourbon Bacon Jam Crostini

This perfect appetizer made of toasted crostini, topped with brie cheese and sweet bacon jam, provides the ideal bite, full of sweet, savory goodness. 

It uses bacon jam made from sherry vinegar, bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, garlic, onions, and pre-cooked crispy bacon to create a highly delectable jam that’s so irresistible. 

Top the jam off onto toasted crostini, and it’s ready to be served as one of the best appetizers you’ll ever get to bite into! 

13. Four Cheese Bourbon Potato Gratin

A luscious and creamy recipe, this Four Cheese Bourbon Potato Gratin is an ideal appetizer or side option that you can make, especially for Thanksgiving. 

This potato gratin recipe has everything that provides all the comfort, from all that cheese, plenty of starchy potatoes, the creaminess of the butter, and the flavors and zing from the booze.

14. Honey Bourbon Glazed Scallops

This recipe combines delicious scallops with a special honey bourbon glaze, creating a simple holiday appetizer option that’s meaty, savory, and sweet. 

The secret lies in the freshness of your scallops; ensure to buy scallops that are firm, shiny, and have a creamy white hue.

15. Bacon Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites With Strawberries

A recipe that highlights the unexpected combination of bacon, bourbon-glazed pecans, and melted brie, with a topping of diced strawberries. 

These Bacon Bourbon Pecan Brie Bites With Strawberries are smoky, sweet, and savory, providing everything you would want in one little bite.

16. Bourbon Glazed Steak Tips

Everyone adores an excellent meaty steak, and this recipe can undoubtedly provide satisfaction to your meal. 

These 1-inch steak bites are marinated with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, and bourbon, to provide a bite that’s layered with complex flavors. 

Bourbon and honey can also be made into a caramelized glaze that can be added to the steak before serving. 

17. Bourbon Shrimp

This Bourbon Shrimp is packed with bold flavor! 

It combines bourbon, olive oil, and cajun seasoning to coat the shrimp as it cooks on a skillet for a few minutes. 

The cooked shrimp is placed individually on a cucumber slice over a dollop of creme fraiche.

The bottom line

Bourbon is a fantastic ingredient that you can use for many recipes, adding complex flavor profiles that can genuinely elevate any dish.

This whiskey can push your cooking to new heights while also providing the pleasure of delicious sips as you go through your cooking process.