Savor the end of summer with a Whiskey Smash. Muddle together an easy honey-ginger simple syrup, fresh lemon and oaky bourbon (or your favorite whiskey), and toast to the last days of warm weather. They are perfect summer sippers — and easily customizable with whatever is in season.
DISCLAIMER
*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning Feast + West may receive commissions for purchases made through those links — at no cost to you. All opinions are our own. Please read our full disclosure for more information.
About this Whiskey Smash recipe
The end of summer is upon us, and I plan to milk every moment, with a cocktail in hand. Preferably, a whiskey smash. This cocktail tastes like sitting on the front porch. I bought a cute rocking chair for our front porch. It’s now my favorite spot to watch the sunset, cocktail in hand.
Whiskey Smashes are made with herbs, fresh fruit, a sweetener and whiskey, usually bourbon. Fresh mint is typical for herbs, and lemon is the most common fruit to pair with this cocktail, like a summery, cold version of a hot toddy. The Smash is also similar to a whiskey sour, but has more flavor thanks to the mint, flavored sweetener and using whole lemon instead of juice.
But the beauty of the Smash is she can be customized in so many ways! They are the most refreshing summer cocktails and a great way to use up your summer produce.
- They can be flavored with all kinds of fresh herbs and fruits, from mint to basil and peaches to berries.
- Sweeten it any way you want. This one calls for a honey ginger simple syrup, but you can use agave, honey, simple syrup or even plain sugar.
- Or change up the whiskey. Use the typical bourbon or switch it out for rye, Scotch, Japanese or Irish whiskey.
Why you’ll love this recipe
The whiskey smash is versatile and delicious! If you’ve never made one, here’s why it might be your new favorite cocktail:
- A whiskey smash is so incredibly easy to make, even if you don’t have a lot of bar tools.
- Play with flavors by muddling other fruits and using flavored simple syrups.
- You can swap out the whiskey for gin, rum or tequila.
Ingredients
A whiskey smash is a cocktail made with herbs, fresh fruit, simple syrup and bourbon. They can be flavored with all kinds of fruits though, from peaches to berries.
Here’s what you need to make a whiskey smash:
- Sweetener: I made a sweet-and-spicy Honey Ginger Syrup for this one, but you can use whatever sweetener you have. You can use any kind of simple syrup, from lavender to cinnamon to mint. Be creative with your flavor combinations.
- Fruit and herbs: Traditionally lemon and mint are used, but you can mix it up.You can use berries, peaches or citrus for a whiskey smash.
- Whiskey: Most people turn to bourbon for a Bourbon Smash, but you can use your favorite or try the whole spectrum of whiskeys. You can even use gin, tequila or rum instead.
Bruised is better! 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. It’s a great way to use up fruit you’d otherwise toss because of looks or texture — but when it’s about to turn bad, that’s when fruit is at its most flavorful, so don’t miss out!
Best 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.
Rye adds a bit of a spicy bite, whereas Scotch whisky adds smokiness and depth. Irish whiskey is very even-keeled and delicious too.
Don’t miss Whiskey 101 where you can learn more about which bottles to buy.
Substitutions & variations
When you swap out an ingredient in a whiskey smash, you wind up with a whole new cocktail. It’s such a good recipe to express your creativity! Here are a few ways:
Use any syrup: This Whiskey Smash features a ginger simple syrup made with honey, but you can have so much fun with flavor. Brown sugar or basil syrup would be delicious too.
Use any spirit: It’s a whiskey smash, so you can use any whiskey. Try rye, Scotch or cinnamon whiskey. Or swap in rum, gin or tequila. This blackberry gin smash is a favorite!
Swap in any fruit or herbs: Use what you have! Fresh berries, nectarines, clementines, limes, apples, pineapple and jalapeño — and more — would all be delicious in a Smash. Basil, sage, thyme, lavender, rosemary and tarragon are all great ideas too.
Do all three! Use this cocktail as a baseline for ratios, but swap in a different sweetener, spirit, fruit and herbs to dream up your own creations. My friend Leah’s strawberry sage tequila smash is a great example.
Use in-season produce: Transition the summery whiskey sour into drinks for other seasons by swapping out ingredients. For example, a bourbon smash would be great with some pumpkin syrup to make a pumpkin whiskey smash in the fall, or use a lavender syrup in a gin smash for springtime.
How to make a Whiskey Smash
Get out your muddler * and cocktail shaker * and let’s make this classic cocktail. Good to the very last drop!
To make the honey ginger syrup, first peel the ginger root and dice into ½-inch pieces. Cook ginger and water together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how strong you want it. Remove from heat. While mixture is warm, strain out ginger pieces, then stir in honey. Let cool completely.
whiskey smash essentials
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → *
In a cocktail shaker *, add lemon wedges, fresh mint leaves and honey ginger syrup. Use a muddler * to press firmly on the fruit to express the juices and essential oils. (No muddler? Use the end of a wooden spoon!)
Add whiskey and ice to the shaker. Shake well, until the shaker gets frosty and cold in your hand.
Strain into a rocks glass * filled with ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and any extra lemon wedges. (A lemon wheel works, too.)
You can use any fruit! To savor summer, I’m always looking for all the juicy peaches I can get my hands on to make peach whiskey smashes. But it’s so good with other fruits, too! Try it with limes, strawberries, blackberries, orange slices — or whatever floats your boat.
FAQ
Bourbon whiskey, AKA American whiskey, with its sweet, oaky undertones is most often used in a whiskey smash, but you can use any type of whiskey. Scotch whisky and Japanese whisky will have a smokier flavor, while rye whiskey (also called Canadian whisky) will have a sharper bite. Irish whiskey is very balanced and helps you highlight the fruit and herbs in the drink.
Kind-of, yes! If you look at this recipe and think it is similar to a whiskey sour, you’re not wrong! Whiskey sours call for lemon juice, but whiskey smashes have you muddle lemon slices, drawing out the zip of lemon zest in the rind. Whiskey sours also often call for egg white and are shaken drinks, whereas smashes are muddled, then shaken.
Both are related to the hot toddy as well, which sees these same elements, but warmed up for a cozy, cold-weather drink.
More summer whiskey cocktails
Whiskey Smash
ingredients
Honey Ginger Syrup (Optional)
- 1 piece ginger root about 4 to 6 inches long
- 1½ cups water
- 1 cup honey
Whiskey Smash
- 2-3 wedges lemon
- 8-10 leaves mint
- 1 ounce honey ginger syrup or other sweetener
- 2 ounces bourbon whiskey rye whiskey or Scotch whisky
- 1 sprig mint for garnish
instructions
Honey Ginger Syrup
- Peel and dice ginger root into ½-inch pieces.
- Cook ginger and water together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes for a milder syrup. Cook for 15 minutes for stronger ginger flavor. Remove from heat.
- While mixture is warm, strain out ginger pieces. Stir in honey. Let cool completely.
- Store in an airtight, food-safe container such a mason jar.
Whiskey Smash
- In a cocktail shaker, add lemon wedges, mint and honey ginger syrup. Use a muddler to press firmly on the fruit to express the juices and essential oils.
- Add whiskey and ice to the shaker. Shake well.
- Strain into a rocks glass * filled with ice. Garnish with mint and any extra lemon wedges.
notes
- Try any syrup: Swap the honey-ginger syrup for brown sugar, basil, or any flavored simple syrup you love.
- Use any spirit: Whiskey is classic, but rum, gin, tequila or even flavored whiskey work great.
- Switch up the fruit and herbs: Muddle up berries, any citrus, stone fruit, apples or even jalapeño, plus herbs like basil, thyme or rosemary.
- Mix and match: Use this as a base recipe and play with different syrups, spirits, fruits and herbs to make it your own.
recommended products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Leave a Reply