Bourbon Plum Smash
Contributed by on Jul 27, 2014
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Welcome to Mixology Monday !!!
Mixology Monday is an online, once a month cocktail party – how fun is that? This month, our lovely hostess, Stacy Markow chose “the Smash” as our cocktail theme – and I’ve got a rather smashing one to share with you – the Bourbon Plum Smash!
Although it might seem like a recent invention, the Smash has been around for over a century – but unlike many classic cocktails, there doesn’t seem to be a standard “recipe” per se. The earliest reference to the Smash (as a distinct cocktail from the Julep) appeared in Harry Johnson’s New and Improved Bartender’s Manual where he lists recipes for 6 different Smash cocktails – 3 made with whiskey and the remainder made with brandy, gin or rum. So what exactly is a “Smash?” At it’s most basic a Smash consists of a base spirit, sweetener , “smashed mint” and a garnish of seasonal fruit – a simple, laid back cocktail that anyone can make with just about anything they have on hand – or as Stacy says….
“get ultra creative, smash things, and then drown them in alcohol and ice. Allow your creativity take flight and concoct sweet and/or savory combos to remember using any fruit or herbs you can get your hands on.”
And in the summer it really doesn’t get any better than that, does it???
So, why a Bourbon Plum Smash? Well, I’d like to say this was deliberate on my part. But it was based more on the need to use up some plums from an overly enthusiastic trip to the farmers market, and for this cocktail that’s what you want – really, really ripe, drippy, juicy plums. For the base spirit, that was pretty easy – bourbon! Since bourbon goes great with peaches, I thought all those vanilla, honey and caramel notes in bourbon would also go great with plums – and I was right. No need to use a premium bourbon here – I used Wild Turkey 81 which worked beautifully.
From there it was simple matter of refining the balance of the cocktail – I used a ginger syrup for a little sweetness and kick and a little cointreau to round things out!
Looking for some other “smashing” cocktails?? Then head on over to Mixology Monday!!
- 4 - ¼ inch slices ripe plums
- 4 mint leaves
- 1 oz. cointreau
- ¼ oz. ginger simple syrup
- ½ oz. lemon juice
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 sprig of fresh mint
- In the bottom of a mixing glass combine the plums, mint leaves, ginger simple syrup and lemon juice. Use a muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon) to muddle the plums and mint leaves. Add the cointreau and bourbon and stir to combine. Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice. Strain over the crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of mint.
