Summertime Peach Whiskey Smash Recipe

The smash is a near-foolproof cocktail that is perfect for using up a summer's bounty of overripe fruit and herbs. The smash wasn't always filled with fruit, though, and is stated in the Difford's Guide to have dated all the way back to the mid-1800s. The original was a simple riff on a Mint Julep, very closely resembling the Derby drink, but with muddled mint instead of stirred. It was also never associated with tin cups and oversized hats, so smashers took on the role of the at-home drink; a lowkey cocktail anyone could make and throw into a spare glass.

It wasn't actually until the 1990s that the smash became what we know of it today. Difford's credits New York bartender Dale DeGroff for adding whole muddled lemon wedges, transforming the drink into a citrusy, almost lemonade-like concoction. Add your fruit of choice, and you have a sweet summer cocktail in minutes.

Peaches are the perfect candidate for smashes because they're juicy, soft, and full of flavor once ripe. You'll want to let your peaches soften quite a bit for this one; the sweeter and softer, the better. That peach you forgot you bought at the farmer's market last week? Grab it — it's time to make some smashes.

Head to the produce aisle first and pick up a couple of peaches and some lemons. You'll be using the whole lemon for muddling, so no shortcuts with premade juice here. If you're making the cocktail right away, try to find soft, ripe peaches. If you have a few days, throw your peaches in a brown bag to ripen faster.

The rest of the ingredients will be in your cocktail cabinet. Grab a bottle of bourbon, Grand Marnier, and simple syrup. You don't need to use your fanciest bourbon here, but a good quality bottle doesn't hurt. If you don't have Grand Marnier specifically, you can use triple sec instead. Then, just grab a few sprigs of thyme for garnishing.

Add the sliced peaches, lemon wedges, and simple syrup to a mixing glass. If you don't have a mixing glass, use any large glass (like a beer glass) or a mason jar. Firmly muddle the fruit into a purée. The lemon rind will still be intact, but the flesh will have broken down into about 1 or 2 ounces of fruit juice (depending on how juicy your fruits are). If you let the fruit rest for a few minutes after muddling, they'll expel another half ounce or so of juice.

Add ice to the mixing glass, then pour the bourbon and Grand Marnier over top. Stir about 15-20 times to combine and dilute. For a frothy, more airy mouthfeel, build the cocktail in a shaker and firmly shake the mixture for 15-20 seconds instead.

If you want to, you can keep all the ice, rinds, and skins in the mixture and simply pour the drink into a serving glass. To remove the bits and pieces from the drink, though, grab a fine strainer and strain out all solids as you pour into the glass. You'll be left with a silky golden cocktail best served over ice. For a more authentic smash, use pellet ice and fill a glass to the brim.

This cocktail is great for late summer and even well into fall thanks to the herbal thyme garnish. You can also throw in other seasonal fruits like blackberries, pears, or even figs. Serve this smash as an appetizer and pair with warm and savory snacks like brie crostini, whipped goat cheese, and melty onion-filled flatbreads. You could even multiply the recipe and make the batch in a pitcher for a pretty (and pretty impressive) party cocktail.