Cherry bourbon smash cocktail
Muddled fresh cherries, bourbon, bright lemon, and a touch of honey — a seasonal cocktail that's as easy to batch as it is to make one at a time.
INGREDIENTS
• 6 pitted fresh cherries
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 0.8 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 0.5 ounces honey syrup (1:1 honey and warm water)
• 4 fresh mint leaves
• 1 splash of club soda
• 1 ice (crushed or cubed)
• 1 fresh cherry and mint sprig (to garnish)
STEPS
1. Make the honey syrup: Combine equal parts honey and warm water and stir until fully dissolved. This thins the honey so it mixes into the cocktail easily without clumping. Make a bigger batch and keep it in the fridge — it lasts 2 weeks and works in any cocktail or iced tea.
2. Pit and muddle the cherries: Use your cherry pitter to stone 6 pitted fresh cherries, then drop them into the bottom of a cocktail shaker or sturdy rocks glass. Add 4 fresh mint leaves. Muddle firmly but not aggressively — you want the cherries fully crushed and the mint bruised to release its oils, not shredded into tiny pieces.
3. Add the liquids: Pour 2 ounces bourbon, 0.8 ounces fresh lemon juice, and 0.5 ounces honey syrup (1:1 honey and warm water) over the muddled cherries and mint. The ratio of bourbon to lemon to honey is the backbone of the drink — sour, sweet, and spirit in balance.
4. Shake with ice: Fill the shaker with 1 ice (crushed or cubed) and shake hard for 10–15 seconds. You want the drink properly chilled and slightly diluted — that dilution is part of what makes a shaken cocktail taste smooth rather than sharp.
5. Strain and serve: Double-strain through a fine mesh strainer into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Double-straining catches the cherry pulp and mint fragments, giving you a cleaner, more polished drink. For a more rustic, muddled-style serve, single-strain and leave some of the fruit in the glass.
6. Top and garnish: Add 1 splash of club soda for a little lift and effervescence. Garnish with 1 fresh cherry and mint sprig (to garnish) — a pitted cherry on a pick and a fresh mint sprig tucked alongside. Serve immediately.
NOTES
**Batching for a crowd:** Multiply everything except the club soda and ice by the number of servings, combine in a pitcher, and refrigerate. Shake individual portions over ice to order, or pour over a big ice block and top each glass with soda.
**Bourbon choice:** A wheated bourbon (like Weller or Maker's Mark) is softer and lets the cherry shine. A high-rye bourbon (like Bulleit) adds more spice and backbone. Both work — pick what you have.
**No alcohol:** Swap the bourbon for strong brewed black tea or cherry juice for a non-alcoholic smash that still hits the same flavor notes.
**Cherry pitter tip:** 6 cherries per drink adds up fast for a party. A multi-cherry pitter lets you prep a whole batch in under 2 minutes.
**Honey syrup ratio:** 1:1 honey to water makes a medium-sweet syrup. For a richer, sweeter syrup use 2:1 honey to water.