We love having friends and family over for dinner and drinks. Half of the fun is trying to figure out what were going to eat and the other half is figuring out what we’re going to drink. This maple 43 cocktail has made it on the drink menu almost every time.

Whatever we end up drinking that night, in addition to the regulars like wine and beer, we almost always end the night with bourbon.

I’ve really come to love bourbon over the last few years, so much that I even had a bourbon tasting party at my house for a few of my friends.

We sampled 12 different bourbons with tasting notes and overall ratings… it was a fun night had by all, and thankfully most of the guys there were my neighbors so no one had to drive home after tasting 12 different bourbons!

This maple 43 is a drink that everyone is going to like, even if you’re not a big bourbon drinker. I used Jim Beam maple whiskey with a shot of Liquor 43 and a little bit of pure maple syrup to make it a little sweeter than just drinking the bourbon straight up.

If you've never had Liquor 43, it gets its name from the 43 different flavors in the bottle. It's a Spanish liqueur made from citrus and fruit juices with herbs, spices and vanilla (hence the forty-three flavors!).

I really came up with this drink for my wife, who really loves the idea of sitting around sipping glasses of bourbon with friends but as much as she tries, she just can’t seem to get it down without making a twisted up face. I guess it’s just a little too harsh for her… but adding sweetness helps. She does love this maple 43 cocktail.

And what better garnish for a maple bourbon drink than a waffle? I usually put out a whole plate of them for everyone to snack on with their drink. Because when you’re drinking bourbon, a little snack with your drink is always a good thing!

Let's plan a Fall Cocktail Party! Serve Dan's apple bourbon Bellini cocktails and Brandy's pear vodka cocktails too.