Donuts. Sweet, tasty, mouth-watering, I've-earned-this donuts. They are the side to your coffee, the savior of the staff meeting, and the treat that makes your morning jog all the more worthwhile. But in Portland, they have been elevated to an art form. Especially at Blue Star Donuts.

Every morning, Blue Star workers rise to begin making a fresh batch of their renowned brioche donuts. The buttery dough, which spent the previous 18 hours resting and fermenting, is tossed into a vat of rice oil and the magic begins. Blue Star is known for its exotic flavors like Cointreau creme brulee and buttermilk old-fashioned, but here we are focusing on the original: the Bourbon Blueberry Basil donut, made with Bulleit Bourbon. Because in Portland, we like to pair our donuts with bourbon.

RECIPE

4 dashes bitters, 1 tsp brown sugar, 6 fresh blue berries, 2 fresh basil leaves,

1 splash of club soda, 2oz Bulleit® Bourbon

In an Old Fashioned glass, muddle the bitters, brown sugar, blueberries, basil and a splash of soda, add the bourbon and fill with ice. Serve!

The flavoring agents of the Blueberry Basil Old Fashioned mirror those of the donut. But instead of tasting like gustatorial overkill, it's a refreshingly complementary pairing. While the bourbon, blueberries and basil are sweet and savory in the donut, the freshly muddled blueberries and basil are crisp and tart in this cocktail. This contrast draws out the rich, smooth flavor of Bulleit's signature high-rye bourbon. Go ahead and dip your donut in this Old Fashioned. You've earned it.