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The Whiskey Smash is a tangy, refreshing classic cocktail made with muddled lemon and fresh mint. Here’s my go-to recipe!
Here’s a classic cocktail that’s classy and refreshing: the Whiskey Smash! It’s tangy and light, not heavy and boozy like many whiskey cocktails. This historic drink is like a citrusy spin on the classic Mint Julep, or a minty spin on the Whiskey Sour.
This drink is one of my favorites for for entertaining, like a pre-dinner drink or cocktails on the patio. Here’s how to make this tasty drink that’s been pleasing drinkers for centuries!
What Is a Whiskey Smash?
The Whiskey Smash dates back to at least the 1880’s! It was listed in a bartender guide published in 1887. You can imagine people in the Victorian times guzzling down this drink! It’s a whiskey cocktail made with lemon, mint, whiskey, and sweetener, and served with crushed ice.
A Smash is an icy cocktail that often highlights seasonal fruit or herbs: it can be made with your spirit of choice: vodka, bourbon and whiskey all work. I’ve also made variations including this Berry Vodka Smash, Maple Bourbon Smash, and Blackberry Bourbon Smash.
Whiskey Smash vs. Mint Julep
The two are very similar, but in my opinion the whiskey smash is the better of the two.
A Mint Julep is whiskey, mint, sugar, and crushed ice, all stirred in the glass. A Whiskey Smash adds muddled lemon, more simple syrup, and gets shaken, so it tastes tangyier and lighter.
It’s also similar to a Whiskey Sour, but that drink has fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of muddled lemon wedges.
Cocktail Tools You’ll Need
For this whiskey smash, you’ll need a few cocktail tools:
- A cocktail shaker quickly chills cocktails by shaking them against ice, then has a strainer so you can pour out the cocktail without pouring out the ice as well. Get one: My Favorite Cocktail Shaker.
- A cocktail muddler is used to mash fruits and herbs in a glass or cocktail shaker to release their flavor. If you don’t have one, you can use a wooden spoon to gently mash the lemon and mint leaves. Get one: Cocktail Muddler
Best Whiskey for a Whiskey Smash
Bourbon is the classic choice for this drink, and it’s my favorite: the vanilla and caramel flavor notes work well with the lemon and mint. For a spicier version, you can try a rye whiskey, and for a more mellow version, Irish whiskey works too.
Use a mid-range whiskey here, like Bulleit Bourbon or Elijah Craig Small Batch. See my Quick guide to types of whiskey for more.
How to Make a Whiskey Smash
The Whiskey Smash comes together in minutes! Alex remarked to me that he loves how quick it is to mix up: you don’t even have to juice lemons like in our family-favorite Whiskey Sour recipe. Use a muddler to muddle the lemon and mint to release their oils and juices, without having to spend time squeezing with a juicer. Here’s how to make a whiskey smash (see the full recipe below):
- Muddle: Place the mint into a cocktail shaker and muddle (gently mash) it a few times. Add the lemon slices and muddle again.
- Shake: Add the whiskey and simple syrup. Add ice and shake until cold.
- Strain: Strain into a glass. If you’d like, add a splash of soda water (this rounds out the flavors). Serve with crushed ice.
How to Batch a Whiskey Smash for a Crowd
Muddling one drink at a time is nice for a few people, but it doesn’t work for a dinner party. Here’s what to do:
- For 8 drinks: Mix up a pitcher of 2 cups bourbon, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, and 1 cup simple syrup. Stir in 3 handfuls ice.
- To keep the flavor mint forward, muddle a few leaves in each glass before straining in 4 ounces.
Best Whiskey Smash Recipe
The Whiskey Smash is a classic cocktail that’s tangy and refreshing! Starring lemon juice and mint, it’s a citrusy spin on the Mint Julep.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Muddled
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ounces whiskey
- 1/4 lemon, sliced into 2 wedges
- 5 large mint leaves
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) simple syrup or maple syrup
- Soda water, for serving
- Crushed ice, for serving
Instructions
- Place the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Muddle 4 to 5 times to extract flavor. Add the lemon wedges and muddle again.
- Add the whiskey and simple syrup and fill the shaker with ice. Shake until cold and strain into a glass. If desired, add a splash of soda water. Serve with crushed ice.
Notes
- For a pitcher of 8 drinks: Mix up a pitcher of 2 cups bourbon, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, and 1 cup simple syrup. Stir in 3 handfuls ice. To keep the flavor mint forward, muddle a few leaves in each glass before straining in 4 ounces.
My friends and I loved your whiskey smash recipe, but it was too difficult to make for a group. Ended up giving everyone a shot glass taste w a tiny bit of ice. I see you show how to increase up to 3x the recipe. Have any thoughts on how to easily make a small pitcher full, rather than all the manual manual process? It really was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it! I would use an 8x our whiskey sour, and they serve over ice and garnished with mint (or muddle mint in the individual glasses).
https://www.acouplecooks.com/whiskey-sour/
2 cups bourbon, 1 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup simple syrup — stirred in pitcher with a handful of ice.
Thank you for the great suggestion! We’ll be making this again soon for our gourmet cooking group!