Whiskey Smash

Savor the end of summer with a Whiskey Smash. Muddle together an easy honey-ginger simple syrup, juicy peaches, warm citrus and oaky bourbon, and toast to the last days of warm weather. 

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The other night I had a dream that someone scolded me for wearing white pants and white flip-flops the day after Labor Day. This is bizarre for a few reasons.

For one, I probably wouldn’t wear white pants. I try to never say never. But I really probably would not.

It would be just my luck to spill something and stain them forever. (Though I guess that’s why they make stain remover pens?)

Second, I don’t think I own any white shoes. And third, what is the big freaking deal with Labor Day anyway? These old wives’ tales of bad luck have never made any sense to me.

Whiskey Smash recipe

A whiskey smash is a cocktail made with herbs, fresh fruit, simple syrup and bourbon. Fresh mint is typical.

Lemon juice is the most common fruit to pair with this cocktail, like a summery, cold version of a hot toddy.

They can be flavored with all kinds of fruits though, from peaches to berries. They are perfect summer sippers.

I know that Labor Day is supposed to signify the “end” of summer, but it’s not officially over for another 2.5 weeks. And here in North Carolina, it’ll be warm until mid-October.

I like fall as much as the next person, but why do we wish summer away? It will be cold before we know it.

The last days of summer are upon us, and I plan to milk every moment.

I need more time in the pool. More evenings spent watering my vegetable garden. More thunderstorms. More summer fruit.

More ice cream. More popsicles. And definitely more cocktails.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make a whiskey smash:

Simple syrup

Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener made with water and sugar, and sometimes additional flavorings. It is used to sweeten cocktails.

You can use any kind of simple syrup, from lavender to cinnamon to mint. The recipe below uses a sweet-and-spicy Honey Ginger Simple Syrup, but you can be creative with your flavor combinations.

Fruit and herbs

You can use berries, peaches or citrus for a whiskey smash. Traditionally lemon is used, but you can mix it up.

The recipe below uses fresh peaches and lemon juice, as well as fresh mint.

You will want to use fresh fruit that is somewhat soft. This will help you muddle (AKA smash) it into your cocktail to release the juices and essential oils.

Whiskey

Lastly, you will need whiskey for a whiskey smash, of course! There are many types of whiskey you can use, but bourbon is most common.

How to make a whiskey smash

In an effort to savor this warm weather, I’m looking for any juicy peaches I can get my hands on, so I can make all the drinks.

This Ginger Whiskey Smash features a honey ginger simple syrup, a few smashed peaches, fresh lemon juice and bourbon. This is the kind of drink that celebrates summertime, but pushes you into fall flavors.

You can use any kind of fruit. Try it with strawberries, blackberries, orange slices or whatever floats your boat.

Ginger and bourbon are two things I love in the fall, too. (Who am I kidding? I love them ALL the time.)

This cocktail tastes like sitting on the front porch. I bought a cute rocking chair for our front porch this summer, and that’s my favorite spot to watch the sunset, cocktail in hand.

So, with Labor Day behind us, let’s get out our muddlers and cocktail shakers and let’s make cocktails. Good to the very last drop.

And I don’t care if you wear white pants. (And I definitely won’t judge you if you spill anything on them.) // susannah