Bourbon Peach Smash

A bourbon peach smash cocktail is a light, refreshing, and easy summer drink for the bourbon lover! Made with fresh peaches, mint, simple syrup, bourbon, and a splash of ginger beer.

Is there anything better than a fresh and juicy summer peach? While a lot of people use them for baking or just eating, in-season peaches are wonderful in cocktails too!

A bourbon smash is a popular style of drink. Muddling (or “smashing”) the fruit and herbs helps to extract the oils and juices to really infuse the flavors into your cocktail. The juicy peaches and fresh mint scream summertime and meld wonderfully with the bourbon. The ginger beer adds a little spice, and is a wonderful compliment to the sweet peaches.

If you’ve been looking for summer cocktails with bourbon, love peach whiskey drinks, or have found yourself with a bounty of in-season peaches, this bourbon peach smash recipe is for you! 

TELL ME ABOUT MAKING THIS BOURBON PEACH SMASH RECIPE

Level of difficulty: Easy. Minimal cutting is required to slice the fresh peach, then all you need to do is muddle, shake, strain, and enjoy.

Flavor: The peach, mint, and ginger all shine through in this drink, making this one of the best summer bourbon cocktails!

Time: It will take you approximately 5 minutes to mix up your whiskey smash.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

• Fresh Peach
• Fresh Mint
• Simple Syrup
• Bourbon
• Ginger Beer
• Ice

OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE A PEACH BOURBON SMASH

1. Place peach slices, mint leaves, and simple syrup in a shaker.
2. Muddle until well-smashed.
3. Add bourbon and ice to the shaker and shake vigorously, until the outside of the shaker is very cold (approximately 15 seconds).
4. Strain the contents of the shaker into a highball glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer and optionally garnish your glass with additional mint, and/or a peach slices.
5. Sip and enjoy!

RECIPE VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Try a different fresh herb: fresh basil is another fun option for summer cocktails
• Swap out the soda: instead of the ginger beer, try a splash of club soda, ginger ale, or flavored sparkling water of choice
• Use a different sweetener: if you do not have simple syrup, granulated sugar, agave syrup, or honey would also work. This honey simple syrup would also be good.
• Try a different fresh fruit: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or blueberries are all great summer fruits to try.
  • Try this raspberry bourbon smash or this blackberry bourbon smash!
• Add some citrus: try a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice in your whiskey smash.

WHAT IS THE BEST BOURBON TO USE TO MAKE A BOURBON SMASH?

Since there are minimal ingredients in this cocktail, using a high-quality bourbon is important when making a peach bourbon smash. Three of my favorites are J.Henry & Sons, Makers Mark Cask Strength, and Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. But the best bourbon for this summer bourbon drink recipe is a bourbon that you enjoy! 

FAQS

Substitutes for bourbon in this bourbon smash recipe. In a pinch, most whiskeys will serve as a good substitute. The name ‘bourbon’ is short for ‘bourbon whiskey’, and there are many other types of whisky too. I would recommend a smoother style of whiskey, like an Irish Whiskey or Blended Whiskey. 

Do I need to strain my drink? The short answer is no, but I highly recommend it. I personally find this bourbon smash recipe much more enjoyable when strained. In my opinion, the muddled peaches can feel a bit chunky and make it difficult to enjoy a nice sip of your peach whiskey smash. If you’d prefer to skip this step, you can muddle your ingredients directly in your glass and stir your drink instead of shaking it.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

Jigger

Cocktail Shaker

Strainer

Cocktail Picks

LOVE THIS RECIPE? YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:

• Raspberry Bourbon Smash
• Blackberry Bourbon Smash
• Gold Rush
• Chai Bourbon