Ready for an incredibly refreshing, tasty bourbon drink? Meet the blackberry bourbon smash. We had a vodka version of this drink at a local restaurant, and immediately wanted to try to make it at home. It’s tangy from the lime juice, lightly sweet from the berries and a bit of maple syrup, and boozy from the bourbon. Add a splash of soda water and it rounds out the flavor, then serve with crushed ice! It’s so tasty and lighter than so many bourbon cocktails. Ready to get started?
What’s a bourbon smash?
First off: what is a bourbon smash? A smash is a fruity, icy cocktail recipe that often highlights seasonal fruit or herbs. It’s made for hot days, and can be made with your spirit of choice (vodka, bourbon and whiskey all work). The smash is pretty variable, and flexible depending on the season. (Here’s more on the history of the smash cocktail.) Mint is a classic choice used in a smash, but other herbs can work. Blackberries are perfect for a smash, since they add a subtle sweetness. If you’d like, you can water down your smash a bit, or top off with a bit of soda water. Other smash recipes we love: Maple Bourbon Smash, Whiskey Smash, Berry Vodka Smash
What you need for this blackberry bourbon smash
For this blackberry bourbon smash cocktail, we’ve called for a few professional cocktail tools. Of course if you prefer, you can use one of our alternatives that you might already have in your kitchen!
Cocktail shaker
Why you need it: A cocktail shaker quickly chills cocktails by shaking them against ice, then has a perforated lid so you can pour out the cocktail without pouring out the ice as well. Buy it! 24-Ounce Cocktail ShakerAlternative: Use a glass mason jar. Place the cocktail in the jar and fill it with ice. Screw on the top and shake away!
Cocktail muddler
Why you need it: A cocktail muddler is used to mash fruits and herbs in a glass or cocktail shaker to release their flavor. Buy it: Cocktail MuddlerAlternative: Use a wooden spoon to gently mash the berries, lime wedges, and mint leaves.
Blackberry bourbon smash ingredients
Now, in addition to these cocktail tools, you’ll need just a few ingredients for this blackberry bourbon smash cocktail. For our version, we’ve used maple syrup instead of simple syrup. Here at A Couple Cooks we love using natural sweeteners and no refined sugar in our drinks, as we find it a gentler sweetener and often you can find it locally. However, you can use simple syrup instead if you’d rather! Here are the blackberry bourbon smash ingredients that you’ll need:
BourbonBlackberriesLimeFresh mint Maple syrupSoda water (optional)
To make the cocktail, you’ll simply muddle the blackberries, lime and mint, then add the bourbon and maple syrup. If you’d like to add a splash of soda water, feel free: it really rounds out the flavor!
What type of bourbon should I buy?
For this blackberry bourbon smash, you’ll want to use the highest quality bourbon! The better the bourbon, the better the drink. The easiest way to tell if it’s high quality? Don’t buy the cheapest bourbon you can find. Try to invest in a mid-price range bourbon: the drink will only taste as good as the gin you invest in! (Want more with bourbon? Try our Bourbon Sour, Bourbon Hot Toddy, and more Great Bourbon Drinks.)
This blackberry bourbon smash recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar free, and naturally sweet.
Looking for more drink recipes?
Outside of this blackberry bourbon smash recipe, here are a few more of our favorite drink recipes: No reviews
Favorite Whiskey Sour Best Frozen Margarita Recipe BEST Classic Margarita Cucumber Lemon WaterApple Cider SangriaHomemade Cold Brew RecipeLime Water with MintFrozen SangriaKombucha RecipeBest Margarita SaltWatermelon MargaritaBest Frose Recipe (Frozen Rosé)Strawberry DaiquirisFruit Infused Water RecipeFrozen Hot Chocolate Gin Fizz Cocktail Watermelon Drink IdeasBest Moscow Mule Recipe Best Piña Coladas (or Virgin Piña Coladas)Basil Gimlet Recipe (or Classic Gin Gimlet)4 Must-Try Gin Cocktails
