Versatile bourbon: from cocktails to the kitchen, Bluegrass Country's favorite drink is an all-around classic.

BOURBON, AN AMERICAN original with a satin-smooth texture, mellow flavor, fruity bouquet and golden amber shade, has long been known for the way it enhances a drink. But too often bourbon's versatility goes unnoticed.

Not so in Kentucky, the state where bourbon was born. Whether it's the primary ingredient of a favorite drink or a flavor enhancer in cooking, folks in Bluegrass Country know that bourbon is a classic.

Spring, when fresh mint is in bloom, is the only time any self-respecting bartender in Kentucky will mix up a MINT JULEP. To make, dissolve one teaspoon of sugar into one-half teaspoon of water, rub two or three mint sprigs with your fingers to bruise them and rim a glass with them. Next, fill three-fourths of the glass with shaved ice and add three ounces of bourbon plus the sugar mixture and stir gently; add ice to fill and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Another bourbon classic is the MANHATTAN: 1 1/2 ounces of bourbon, 1/2 ounce each of dry and sweet vermouth and a dash of Angostura bitters. Stir well with ice and strain into a glass. Or if you enjoy a WHISKEY SOUR, be sure the whiskey is bourbon: In a shaker, add three ounces of bourbon, the juice of one-half lemon and a half teaspoon of sugar. Shake well with ice, pour into a whiskey sour glass and garnish with an orange slice and cherry. If your choice is an OLD-FASHIONED, put a lump of sugar in a glass, sprinkle it with a light dash of Angostura bitters, add ice cubes and a twist of lemon peel and fill with bourbon.

In chilly months, warm up with a HOT TODDY: Place one ounce of bourbon, one teaspoon of sugar, two cloves and one slice of lemon in an Old-Fashioned glass with a silver spoon (to absorb the heat) and fill with boiling water; add a small piece of cinnamon.

A whiskey distilled from mostly corn grain, then aged in charred, new oak containers for at least two years, bourbon improves with age. To appreciate how distinctive a mature bourbon is when it's been aged in an oak barrel, taste it neat or on the rocks. Bourbon is full-flavored, full-bodied, with a rich bouquet and a character that comes from its corn base.

Which glass brings out the best in bourbon? When you're drinking it on the rocks, use an Old-Fashioned glass. When you're enjoying it neat after dinner, pour it in a generous-sized snifter.

Bourbon's adaptability, however, takes it beyond pre- and postprandial drinks. As any Kentucky cook will tell you, bourbon has an honored place in the kitchen as well. To get the best balance of flavors between the whiskey and food, dilute 1 1/4 ounces of bourbon in four ounces of water and use the mixture to enhance all kinds of dishes.

Mix it with brown sugar and spoon over sweet potatoes to make Bourbon Yams. Combine with yogurt and fresh mint and pour it over chicken as a marinade to make Julep Chicken. Add it to orange juice to deglaze a pan after sauteing chicken to make Bourbon Orange Chicken Breasts.

Bourbon also lifts the flavors of fried and roast chicken, duck, goose, turkey, sausage, venison and ham. It really comes into its own in desserts such as fruitcake, plum pudding, bread pudding, pecan pie, mincemeat pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate sauce, cakes, cookies and brownies.

As befits America's only indigenous spirit, bourbon offers abundant choice. Among the many straight bourbons on the market are Ancient Age, Wild Turkey, Old Taylor, Hiram Walker, Old Crow, Old Grand-Dad, Jim Beam, Old Forester and Maker's Mark. The price is $14 a bottle on the average, although it rises slightly with age. The best aged varieties, such as Blanton Single Barrel Bourbon, cost around $40. Still, it is not too steep a price to pay for quality, authenticity and good taste.