Two Southern staples collide, and the result is about as delicious as it gets. The Peach Bourbon Smash is a fruity, refreshing whiskey cocktail you'll want to sip on all summer long and likely even into the fall.
It's bursting with a bright, juicy peach flavor and a cool, citrusy lift — the perfect way to enjoy bourbon when the sun is shining and the weather is hot.
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Why This Recipe Works
Most bourbons naturally feature notes of caramel and vanilla. Peaches have tart, honey-like sweetness to them. Together, they're a match made in heaven.
With years of bartending experience, including developing cocktail menus for various establishments, I've acquired a few tricks for balancing flavors in a drink. The bar days are behind me, but I still love mixing up a fabulous cocktail for guests at home. This Peach Bourbon Smash was designed for the host and hostess — a restaurant-quality cocktail you can easily make in the comfort of your own home.
This Peach Bourbon Smash comes together with a handful of simple ingredients and only takes a few minutes to whip up. I've included pitcher recipe instructions below in case you're entertaining a crowd and don't want to play bartender all night.
Whether it's a single serving or a big batch you're whipping up, this sipper is guaranteed to be balanced, bright, and impress your guests 100% of the time.
What Is a Bourbon Smash
In its most basic form, a smash-style cocktail begins with simple syrup, lemon wedges, and mint. These ingredients get muddled together, a spirit goes in, followed by ice, and boom! A sweet and sour, smooth-sipping cocktail with a refreshing minty essence.
Club soda or something sparkling is typically added over the top for a bubbly effervescence. Honestly, it's no wonder smash cocktails are summertime staples for bars and restaurants!
You can use all kinds of fruits to round out the flavors of a bourbon smash: cherry, blackberry, raspberry, mango, and even pineapple. But my favorite of all? This Peach Bourbon Smash.
If you love peach as much as I do, we've got more peachy recipes for you: two more peach-favorite cocktails, the Peach Margarita and Peach Daiquiri. If you happen to end up with leftover peaches, put them to use in our favorite peach desserts — Peach Cake and Peach Cobbler!
Bourbon Smash Ingredients (+ Substitutions)
- Bourbon | Bulleit, Basil Hayden, and Elijah Craig are both bourbons on the drier side and won't add too much sweetness to your cocktail. For a sweeter, fruitier flavor profile, go with Maker's Mark or Four Roses. Buffalo Trace will give you a super balanced cocktail; neither too sweet, nor too dry. These are all great bourbon choices for a bourbon smash.
- Peach | With their honey, floral notes, slight tang, and smooth, buttery texture, peaches are a match made in heaven for bringing out the best of whiskey. If you'd like to get creative with other smash variations, try blackberry, raspberry, or cherry! If you end up with extra peaches, try my Peach Muffins. They're just as good at brunch as they are in cocktails
- Lemon | A classic bourbon smash ingredient. It adds acidity that cuts through and livens up the bourbon, keeping it from feeling super boozy (like an Old Fashioned). You can use lime in a pinch or even muddle in some orange for some extra flavor.
- Mint | This ingredient has a natural cooling effect that puts the "refreshing" in a bourbon smash. When muddled, it releases essential oils that make the drink smell as good as it tastes. We love the mint in this drink, but if you want to shake things up, you can sub in basil, rosemary, or even sage.
- Simple Syrup | Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts sugar and water, adding a touch of sweetness to this cocktail. We use this simple syrup recipe as the base of most of our cocktails, like our Pineapple Mojito. Simple syrup has come a long way, and if you're looking to easily infuse more flavor into your Peach Bourbon Smash, try brown sugar simple syrup, mint simple syrup, or even cinnamon simple syrup.
- Club Soda | Often, this classic cocktail is topped off with something fizzy. Go with club soda or your favorite sparkling water for a bourbon smash on the dryer side. For a sweeter rendition, consider ginger beer or even champagne or Prosecco.
If you're looking to build up your home bartending menu, definitely add Watermelon Martini and White Wine Sangria to the list during the summer months.
How Make a Peach Bourbon Smash
Muddle | Grab a shaker or sturdy glass and gently muddle the lemon wedges, peach slices, mint, and simple syrup.
If you're not familiar with muddling, this is just a fancy term primarily used in the mixology world. To muddle your ingredients means to (gently) press and smash your ingredients together in a muddler to release those beautiful oils and juices that bring your cocktail to life. If you don't have a muddler, don't fret! The handle-end of a wooden spoon is a great alternative.
If using a wooden spoon, grip it firmly and twist it in a circular motion over your ingredients.
Add Bourbon + Ice | Add the 2 ounces of the bourbon of your choice to your glass, then the ice to your muddled ingredients
Shake + Strain | Secure your cocktail shaker with a lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain your mixture into a rocks glass over ice.
Top + Garnish | Top your Peach Bourbon Smash with club soda, and garnish with mint and a sliced lemon or peach wedge.
Serve, and enjoy!
Pitcher Recipe for a Crowd
You can make the base of the cocktail up to a day in advance by muddling and straining the lemon, peach, and mint, then stirring in the bourbon.
- 4 lemons, cut into wedges
- 3 medium peaches, cut into slices
- 1 cup mint leaves
- ¾ cup simple syrup
- 2 cups bourbon
- 1 cup club soda, sparkling water, or ginger beer
In a large measuring pitcher or bowl, muddle together the lemon wedges, peach slices, and mint. Then, stir in the simple syrup and bourbon.
Slowly and carefully strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. If your pitcher has a narrow opening, it might be best to strain into another bowl and then into a pitcher. Add the sparkling water stir and serve over ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
This drink is designed to be light, layered, and refreshing. This is the point of muddling. Blending it will throw off the texture, making it a bit heavier than originally intended. It also makes it more of a smoothie than a cocktail and will deteriorate the fresh flavor of the lemon and mint.
This cocktail begs for a fancy garnish. A sprig of mint is an easy way to add color and extra fragrant. A peach slice or wedge is a simple yet pretty way to elevate the cocktail. You can also use a lemon wheel or wedge to bring out the citrusy notes of a bourbon smash.
You can make the base of the cocktail up to a day in advance by muddling and straining the lemon, peach, and mint, then stirring in the bourbon. Cover and refrigerate. Don't add the bubbles until serving time.
5 More Summer Cocktails You’ll Love
Peach Bourbon Smash
Ingredients
- 3 lemon wedges or juice of ½ a lemon
- 3-4 peach slices or ⅓ cup diced peach
- 6-8 fresh mint leaves
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
- Cubed ice
- Generous splash club soda, sparkling water, or ginger beer
Instructions
- In a shaker or sturdy glass, gently muddle the lemon wedges, peach slices, mint, and simple syrup.
- Add bourbon and fill with ice.
- Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, and garnish with a mint sprig, if desired.
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