Bourbon Smash
Muddle; Shake ∙ 4 min ∙ 18.1% ABV ∙
The Bourbon Smash is a muddled bourbon sour built with fresh mint, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, shaken and served over ice. Cool mint hits first, then bright lemon cuts through the bourbon's caramel warmth, finishing crisp rather than sweet.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- In the base of the shaker, lightly muddle: Fresh mint leaves 10 pcs
- Add the remaining ingredients and shake with ice: Bourbon 60 mlLemon juice 25 mlSugar syrup 15 mlSaline solution 1 dash
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a mint sprig
Tips
- Muddle the 10 mint leaves on their own for 5-8 seconds, before anything else joins them, pressing just enough to release the oils without crushing the stems.
- Shake bourbon, lemon juice, and syrup hard with ice for about 10-12 seconds to fully dilute and chill before straining over fresh ice.
- Fill the old-fashioned glass with fresh cracked or cubed ice after shaking rather than reusing the muddling ice, keeping mint debris out of the glass.
- Slap the mint sprig garnish between the palms before placing it on top to release aroma right at the point of drinking.
History
The Bourbon Smash belongs to the Smash family of cocktails, a muddled offshoot of the Mint Julep first documented in American bar guides of the mid-1800s. Drinks historian David Wondrich traces the Smash's first appearance to the mid-1840s, after which brandy and whiskey versions became common through the 1850s. Bartender Jerry Thomas included a Smash recipe in his 1862 Bartender's Guide, describing it as a smaller-scale Julep, while Harry Johnson's 1882 manual later treated the Smash as its own distinct drink built with muddled fruit rather than the Julep's simple mint and sugar. The style faded after the Civil War era but was revived and popularized in its whiskey form in New York in the late 1990s by bartender Dale DeGroff, who reworked the recipe to include muddled lemon alongside the mint. The Bourbon Smash reflects this whiskey-based branch of the Smash lineage, distinguished from the Mint Julep by its added citrus and more aggressive muddling technique.
FAQ
What is in a bourbon smash?
A Bourbon Smash is made with bourbon, fresh mint leaves, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, muddled and shaken, then served over ice in an old-fashioned glass with a mint sprig garnish. This build also allows an optional dash of saline solution to sharpen the citrus and bourbon.
What makes a smash cocktail a smash?
A smash is defined by muddling fresh fruit or herbs directly in the glass or shaker with sugar and spirit before shaking, which releases oils and juices that a simple stir would not extract. In the Bourbon Smash, that muddled ingredient is fresh mint, giving the drink its cooling top note.
How do you make a bourbon smash?
Muddle fresh mint leaves gently, then shake with bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar syrup before straining over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass. A mint sprig garnish finishes it; a dash of saline solution is optional for extra balance.
What is the difference between a bourbon smash and a bourbon sour?
A Bourbon Smash adds muddled fresh mint to the bourbon, lemon, and syrup base that a Bourbon Sour uses on its own, giving the smash a cooling, herbal edge the sour does not have. Both are shaken and share the same sour-family structure of spirit, citrus, and sweetener.
How do you make a blackberry bourbon smash?
A blackberry version muddles fresh blackberries in along with the mint before shaking with bourbon, lemon juice, and sugar syrup, adding fruit sweetness and a deep purple color. This recipe's own build uses mint alone, without blackberries.
