I was sitting on a friend's patio in late June, the kind of evening where the heat has finally broken and the fireflies haven't quite started their shift. Someone handed me a rocks glass filled with crushed ice, mint leaves poking up like a small herb garden, and said, "Try this—it's a Bourbon Smash." I'd spent the better part of the afternoon drinking mediocre gin and tonics, so my expectations were calibrated accordingly.
One sip changed that. The bourbon came through warm and caramel-sweet, cut by bright lemon and punctuated with fresh mint that somehow didn't taste like toothpaste. It was everything I wanted from a mojito—the herbaceous freshness, the citrus brightness, the crushed ice—without the rum's one-note sweetness or the inevitable soggy mint bits that make you look like you've been grazing in someone's garden. This was a grown-up drink that happened to be crushingly refreshing.
Dale DeGroff, the legendary bartender who helped resurrect classic cocktail culture in the 1990s, popularized the Whiskey Smash at New York's Rainbow Room. His version used rye, but the bourbon variant has become the go-to for anyone who wants a warm-weather cocktail with actual backbone. It's essentially a Whiskey Sour that went to a farmers market and came back with fresh mint and better ideas about texture. The muddling technique—pressing lemon wedges and mint to release oils and juice—creates a drink that's simultaneously rustic and refined, casual enough for a backyard BBQ but sophisticated enough that you won't feel like you're drinking a snow cone.
The Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon
- ½ lemon, cut into 3-4 wedges
- 6-8 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ oz simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
- Crushed or cubed ice
- Mint sprig for garnish
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Muddler
- Fine mesh strainer
- Rocks glass (Old Fashioned glass)
- Jigger
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the mint. Take 6-8 mint leaves and give them a good slap between your palms. This isn't aggression—it's aromatics. The slap breaks the cell walls and releases the essential oils without bruising the leaves into bitterness. Drop them into your shaker.
Step 2: Add lemon and muddle. Cut half a lemon into 3-4 wedges and add them to the shaker with the mint. Add the simple syrup. Now muddle with purpose but not violence. Press down and twist gently, working the muddler around the bottom of the shaker. You want to extract the juice from the lemon wedges and the oils from the peels, plus coax out the mint oils, but you don't want to shred the leaves into green confetti. Six to eight firm presses should do it. If your drink tastes like lawn clippings, you've gone too far.
Step 3: Add bourbon and ice. Pour in 2 oz of bourbon. Fill the shaker with ice—cubed works fine here, you're going to shake it hard enough that it'll break down a bit anyway. The ice serves two purposes: it chills the drink and dilutes it just enough to marry the flavors.
Step 4: Shake. Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 10-12 seconds. You're looking for proper dilution and aeration here. The drink should come out cold enough that the shaker frosts over.
Step 5: Strain and serve. Here's where most people mess up: they skip the fine strainer. Don't. Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice (crushed if you have it, cubed if you don't). Nobody wants to pick mint fragments out of their teeth between sips. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig—give it a slap first for the aroma.
The Quick Version
Slap mint, muddle with lemon wedges and simple syrup, add bourbon and ice, shake hard, double-strain over fresh ice, garnish with mint.
The Details That Matter
Muddling Technique: Press and Twist, Don't Pulverize
The muddler is not a jackhammer. When you're working with mint, you want to release the essential oils from the leaves and the juice and oils from the lemon, but you don't want to shred everything into a bitter pulp. Press down firmly and give the muddler a gentle twist—imagine you're trying to express juice from the lemon wedges, not crush them into oblivion. Six to eight presses should get you where you need to be. If you over-muddle mint, you'll extract chlorophyll, which tastes like bitterness and regret.
Lemon Wedges vs. Lemon Juice
You might be tempted to just pour in ¾ oz of fresh lemon juice and call it a day. Don't. Muddling whole lemon wedges gives you juice plus the oils from the peel, which add a brighter, more complex citrus note than juice alone. It's the difference between lemon flavor and actual lemon. The peel oils also play nicely with the bourbon's vanilla and caramel notes in a way that straight juice doesn't quite manage.
Mint: Quality and Preparation
Use the freshest mint you can find—supermarket mint works fine, but if you have a plant on your windowsill or in your garden, even better. Before you muddle, give the leaves a hard slap between your palms. This releases the aromatic compounds and gives you that immediate mint smell that signals to your brain that yes, this drink is going to be refreshing. It's a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
The Case for Fine Straining
This is non-negotiable. You've muddled mint and lemon, which means you've created small plant particles floating in your drink. If you pour this straight into a glass without a fine mesh strainer, you'll spend the next twenty minutes picking green bits out of your teeth. The fine strainer catches everything while letting through the flavorful oils and juices. It's the difference between a refined cocktail and salad runoff.
Ice Matters
Use cubed ice in the shaker—it won't break down too fast while you're shaking, so you get proper dilution without turning the drink into water. In the serving glass, crushed ice is traditional and gives you that slushy, julep-like texture that's perfect for hot weather. If you don't have crushed ice, cubed works fine—just use fresh ice, not the ice you shook with. The shaking ice has already done its job and is partially melted.
Our Bourbon Picks
Best Overall: Maker's Mark
Maker's Mark's wheated bourbon profile is nearly perfect for a Smash. The wheat gives it a softer, sweeter character than high-rye bourbons, which plays beautifully with the mint and lemon without getting lost. You get vanilla, caramel, and a gentle spice that doesn't fight with the fresh ingredients. At around $30, it's priced right for cocktails you'll make all summer long. Check availability at CWSpirits and use code BOOZEMAKERS5 for 5% off.
Best Premium: Angel's Envy
If you want to elevate the Bourbon Smash into something special, Angel's Envy's port barrel finish adds layers of fruit and subtle sweetness that complement the mint and lemon without overwhelming them. The finish is smooth enough that it doesn't need the dilution to tame it, but the cocktail format brings out the dried fruit and vanilla notes in interesting ways. It's what you make when you're trying to impress someone on a first date or convince your bourbon-skeptic friend that whiskey cocktails can be elegant.
Best Budget: Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
At under $20, Evan Williams BiB punches well above its weight. The 100-proof bottled-in-bond designation means it has enough backbone to stand up to ice, citrus, and muddled mint without disappearing. You get classic bourbon notes—oak, vanilla, a little spice—without any off flavors. It's the bourbon you buy in quantity when you're making Smashes for a crowd and don't want to spend mortgage money on cocktails.
The Rye Alternative: Rittenhouse Rye
DeGroff's original Whiskey Smash used rye, and there's good reason for it. Rittenhouse Rye's spicier profile adds a peppery kick that some people prefer with mint. If you like your cocktails with a bit more bite, swap in rye for bourbon. The drink becomes a little sharper, a little less sweet, a little more assertive. Both versions are excellent—it's a matter of whether you want warm caramel or brisk spice.
What Our Panel Says
Marcus Chen, The Explorer: "I discovered the Bourbon Smash at a lake house in Michigan, and it became my entire personality for about three weeks. I made them for everyone—friends, neighbors, the guy who came to fix the dock. There's something about the combination of bourbon and fresh mint that just works when you're outside in the summer. I've tried to make them in January, and it's not the same. This is a warm-weather drink in the best possible way. Now I keep a mint plant on my balcony specifically for Smash season, which runs from May through September."
William Hayes, The Connoisseur: "The Smash sits in the same family as the Mint Julep, but it's less precious about itself. The Julep is a Derby Day tradition, all crushed ice and silver cups and ceremony. The Smash is what you drink the other 364 days when you want those same flavors without the pageantry. The lemon adds a brightness that the Julep lacks—it cuts the sweetness and makes the whole thing more balanced. I made these at a Derby party once, and half the guests preferred them to the traditional Juleps, which caused a small amount of controversy but also validated my long-held belief that sometimes simplicity beats tradition."
Sophia Laurent, The Host: "The Bourbon Smash is my secret weapon for garden parties. It looks impressive—the mint sprig, the crushed ice, the whole presentation says 'I know what I'm doing'—but it's actually one of the easier cocktails to batch or make quickly. I keep a container of muddled lemon and mint in the fridge, and when guests arrive, I just add bourbon, shake, and pour. Everyone thinks I'm some kind of cocktail wizard. Last summer I served these at an outdoor dinner party, and people were still talking about them weeks later. It's the rare cocktail that's both sophisticated and genuinely refreshing, which makes it perfect when it's 85 degrees and you're trying to keep people happy without turning into a full-time bartender."
Variations to Try
Blackberry Smash
Muddle 4-5 fresh blackberries along with the mint and lemon. The blackberries add a deep, jammy sweetness that pairs exceptionally well with bourbon's vanilla notes. Strain well—blackberry seeds are even worse than mint bits. Garnish with a blackberry and mint sprig. This version turns a dark purple color that looks dramatic in a glass.
Peach Smash
Muddle 2-3 slices of ripe peach with the mint and lemon. Peach and bourbon are a classic combination (see: every Southern dessert ever), and the fresh peach brings a summery sweetness that's less cloying than liqueur. Use a riper peach for maximum flavor—if it's not fragrant, it won't add much to the drink. This is the version you make in August when peaches are at their peak.
Basil Smash
Swap the mint for fresh basil leaves. The basil brings an herbal, slightly peppery quality that's less sweet than mint and more savory. It's an interesting variation if you want something a little more grown-up and less obviously "refreshing." Basil Smashes pair particularly well with food—try one alongside pizza or pasta. Use the same muddling technique, but basil is sturdier than mint, so you can press a bit harder.
Jalapeño Smash
Add 2-3 thin slices of jalapeño (seeds removed unless you're feeling brave) to the muddle. The heat plays against the mint's coolness in a way that's surprisingly balanced. Don't overdo it—you want a subtle warmth, not a punishment. This version is excellent if you're serving the Smash with Mexican food or BBQ. Garnish with a jalapeño slice on the rim for fair warning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Over-Muddling the Mint
The most common error. If you pulverize the mint leaves, you'll extract bitter chlorophyll compounds that taste like you're drinking a lawn. Gentle pressure, six to eight presses, and you're done. The mint should look bruised, not shredded. If you see little green particles floating everywhere, you've gone too far.
Using Bottled Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice is mandatory. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and chemical, and you won't get the aromatic peel oils that make the muddled wedge technique worthwhile. If you don't have fresh lemons, make a different drink. A Smash with bottled juice is like a burger with ketchup instead of a tomato—technically similar, completely different in practice.
Skipping the Double Strain
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: use a fine mesh strainer. The hawthorne strainer on your shaker isn't enough. You need to catch the small mint and lemon particles, or you'll spend the whole drink picking plant matter out of your teeth. This isn't a smoothie.
Wrong Ice in the Glass
Don't reuse the ice you shook with. That ice is already diluted and partially melted—it's done its job. Fresh ice in the glass keeps the drink cold longer and gives you the proper texture. Crushed ice is ideal for the slushy, refreshing mouthfeel, but fresh cubed ice works if that's what you have.
Not Enough Bourbon
The Smash should taste like bourbon with refreshing accents, not like lemon-mint water with a bourbon rumor. Two ounces is the standard for a reason—it gives you enough bourbon presence to balance the citrus and sweetness. If you go lighter, you lose the drink's backbone. If you're using a lower-proof bourbon, you might even consider bumping it to 2.5 oz to maintain the proper balance.
Final Thoughts
The Bourbon Smash occupies a perfect middle ground: simple enough to make without a degree in mixology, complex enough that it doesn't taste like something you'd get at a mediocre chain restaurant. It's the drink you make when you want to feel like you're at a good bar but you're actually on your patio in shorts, wondering if the fireflies are early this year.
Master the muddling technique, use fresh ingredients, and don't skip the fine strainer. Everything else is just details. The Smash will reward you with a drink that's greater than the sum of its parts—bourbon, lemon, mint, and ice turning into something that makes hot weather not just tolerable but actually enjoyable. That's not bad for four ingredients and thirty seconds of work.
