Friday, September 11, 2009

The Whiskey Smash

The Whiskey Smash is the perfect refreshing cocktail. The classic combination of lemon and mint makes a great companion for any hot summer's day or maybe even a picnic.

And actually, a picnic is what our friend Lorraine Thompson (@WritersKitchen) was planning. I suggested a Whiskey Smash, and as luck would have it, Josh had just spent yesterday evening adjusting the proportions.

For most cocktails recipes, we defer to our cocktail hero Toby Maloney. He provides a great YouTube video on how to make his version of a whiskey smash--and with flair! But for some reason, when we replicated the recipe at home, it always came out too sour and a little oily. So, this is how Josh adjusted the Whiskey Smash:

The Whiskey Smash

2 oz Rye (we used Wild Turkey--at least 100 proof is usually great)
1 oz simple syrup (we use a 1:1 ratio)
Quarter of a lemon, cut in half
handful of mint

Muddle the mint and lemon (you can "push" the lemon, instead of pulverizing it). Add the sugar and rye. Fill your shaker with ice. Shake it hard. Strain. Serve over ice.

Enjoy!

7 comments:

Lorraine said...

We're pining to try this Whiskey Smash. I just procured the Wild Turkey but with 101 proof booze, I feel I should wait until le weekend.

Will let you know how it turns out!

Thanks so much for posting the recipe.

Lorraine said...

I finally made your Whiskey Smash--and must say it was well worth the wait.

The combination of lemony citrus juice and fresh mint is dynamite. I can't wait to serve this cocktail--a tangy twist on a mint julep--to our North Carolinian friend, a julep connoisseur.

Josh, we ended up liking at 2:1 bourbon/simple syrup ratio.

I watched the Toby Maloney video but found I really needed to muddle the mint quite a bit more than he does to bring out the mint's distinctive cool flavor notes.

Also--a muddling tip from my college-aged son--I add a sprinkle of sugar for a grittier muddle that releases more ingredients' essential oils.

Thanks again for a terrific new addition to my cocktail recipe file.

Noelle said...

Lorraine - I'm so glad you enjoyed the Whiskey Smash! It's a great drink, isn't it? Did you end up using a bourbon instead of a rye? That would definitely draw the flavor closer to a julep's. Yum!

One thing I've noticed about mint is that you have to muddle it differently depending on the type of mint. Especially if it's peppermint, you really gotta pulverize to get any flavor out. With spearmint, you can get away with bruising--it lets out the essential oils without that planty taste. I liked your idea of muddling the sugar with the mint.

Yay for drink exchange!

Noelle

Lorraine said...

Noelle:

Funny you should ask about bourbon versus rye. I meant to use Wild Turkey--I "borrowed" some from my son--btw, his name is Noel!--and I put the bourbon in a Snapple iced tea bottle to carry home.

But my DH discarded the Wild Turkey accidentally thinking it was, well, leftover Snapple iced tea.

I promptly sent him to the liquor store where he picked up Sazerac Rye.

The Smash was delicious with the rye, but now I feel I MUST try it with bourbon.

Oh, the sacrifices one makes for quality assurance...

Julian said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I use HONEY instead of the syrup. ALSO, made it with BULLET this time. I had tried some DICKEL before, but really prefer the BULLET

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