Your Mayonnaise Needs A Boozy Whiskey Boost

Adding a splash of booze is a pretty tried-and-true method for bringing new life and complexity to familiar recipes. Whether it's spiking your iced coffee like James Beard or upgrading whipped cream, a little whiskey, rum, or tequila is an invigorating supplement. One place you may not expect booze is in your mayonnaise. While it might sound like one of those TikTok-only recipes — like boiling a tube of Pringles to make mashed potatoes — bourbon mayonnaise is a real thing, with some pretty die-hard fans.

In short, you're combining mayonnaise and (surprise) bourbon, along with a few other ingredients of your choice. Whisk it all together and you get ... a dressing? A dip? Wing sauce? Pretty much all of that, and it's pretty darn good. The concept is not without precedent; there are other boozy condiments. Bourbon is a popular component of many barbecue sauces, for example. And there are at least a couple of alcohol-fueled mustards on the market, including a jalapeño whiskey mustard from Sutter Buttes.

One major caveat when giving your mayonnaise a whiskey boost: You're adding whiskey that's not baked or cooked, it's just straight alcohol. Be sure to give adults a heads-up about the high-proof ingredient before slathering it on their sandwiches, and definitely keep it away from the kids' burgers.

Bourbon mayonnaise generally only requires a few ingredients and a fork or whisk. There are some recipes that call for a blender, and a few instructing you to reduce the bourbon by setting it on fire. For the most part, however, this is a convenient last-minute flavor hack.

In general, you're not using a lot of whiskey (bourbon is preferred for its sweetness, because there's a flavor difference between bourbon and other whiskeys). About an ounce of bourbon per cup of mayonnaise is more than enough. After that, there are various directions to take the condiment. For a sweeter dressing (think honey mustard), add a little maple syrup. For a more savory style, add roasted garlic and lemon juice or sauteed onions and beef au jus. Or mix up equal parts ketchup and mayo with a touch of bourbon for your own special sauce. You can even add heat to your boozy mayo, using Calabrian chilis or smoked paprika.

If bourbon isn't your jam, no problem. You can make the same recipes with rum, smoky Scotch, or añejo tequila and the results will be similar. Any recipe you try will almost certainly taste better with a quality mayo like Kewpie or a homemade version. Seeking an alcohol-free option? Give Cuso's maple bourbon seasoning a try. It's a spice rub, so add it gradually until you get the flavor impact you're after.

We tested several recipes and can report that bourbon mayonnaise is ... an acquired taste. The ingredients blend nicely, but there's some sort of additional emulsion taking place. The end result has a buttery aftertaste which feels unwelcome in a salad, but works well on a toasted hamburger bun. Savory options seem to work better than sweeter versions (a little odd, since bourbon and maple are such complementary flavors). The amount of liquid you add will determine whether the final concoction is thinner like a salad dressing or thicker like a dip. Salt and pepper help create a more finished product, and reducing the bourbon by lighting it on fire adds a smoky caramel note. While the amount of added spirit is up to you, too much will overwhelm the dish, particularly with higher-proof bourbons.

Salad dressing seems to be the least successful option, based on our testing. Adding bourbon to actual salad dressing may work better than pouring flavored mayonnaise over lettuce. Many recipes suggest it as an enhanced spread for fancy burgers, and it does pair well with buns, with the toasted oak from the bourbon complementing the buttery notes of the bread. Most recipes will work well as a dip for spicy chicken wings as fries. In fact, Bardog Tavern in Memphis, Tennessee, serves bourbon mayo alongside its shoestring fries. Give it a try anywhere you use plain mayonnaise. You may be surprised at the results.