Description
Crafting a blackberry bourbon smash cocktail brings Southern charm to summer sipping, blending muddled berries with smooth bourbon whiskey. Sweet, tart, and refreshingly complex, you’ll savor this cocktail’s perfect balance of fruit and spirit in every delightful glass.
Ingredients
Scale
Cocktail Base:
- 2 ounces (60 milliliters) Kentucky bourbon or whiskey
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) granulated sugar
Fruits and Herbs:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) fresh or frozen blackberries
- 4 sprigs fresh mint
- Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters)
Finishing Ingredients:
- Crushed ice
- Club soda or ginger ale
Instructions
- Crush ripe blackberries, fresh mint leaves, and sugar in a rocks glass using a cocktail muddler until the sugar dissolves and the fruits release their aromatic oils.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice into the muddled mixture, ensuring the flavors are well integrated.
- Pour bourbon over the muddled ingredients, creating a rich and vibrant base for the cocktail.
- Fill the glass with crushed ice, allowing the drink to chill quickly and maintain its refreshing temperature.
- Top the cocktail with club soda, gently stirring to combine all ingredients without disrupting the delicate fruit and herb infusion.
- For a larger gathering, prepare the cocktail in a 2-quart pitcher by scaling up the ingredients proportionally.
- In the pitcher, thoroughly muddle blackberries, mint, and lime juice to extract maximum flavor.
- Add simple syrup to ensure smooth sweetness throughout the drink.
- Pour bourbon and club soda into the pitcher, mixing well with a long spoon.
- Include some whole blackberries for garnish and visual appeal.
- Serve the cocktail in chilled glasses, allowing guests to enjoy the complex layers of flavor and aroma.
Notes
- Perfectly muddle ingredients by pressing gently to release oils and flavors without crushing too aggressively, which can make mint taste bitter.
- Frozen blackberries work wonderfully when fresh aren’t available, adding a frosty touch to the cocktail without diluting the drink.
- Customize sweetness levels by adjusting simple syrup or sugar, allowing personal preference to shine through each refreshing sip.
- Create a non-alcoholic version by replacing bourbon with sparkling water or ginger ale, keeping the vibrant fruit and herb essence intact.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Muddling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg