Sweet summer cherries mingle with smooth bourbon, fresh lemon juice, herbs, and spicy ginger beer in my rendition of this gorgeous summer cocktail. She's the perfect drink to celebrate cherry season this summer: beautiful, bubbly, and absolutely delicious! I include cocktail and mocktail measurements as well so everyone can enjoy.
I absolutely love the early summer, when the produce at the farmers' market overflows and our town has the summer solstice parade at town square (yes, I'm serious!).
Before the heat waves arrive, my family and I enjoyed another year of heading up the mountains and picking fresh cherries at one of the local farms. The weather was absolutely perfect in the mid 70s and sunny, so gorgeous.
Of course, once we brought them home, I had plenty of inspiration to fulfill another request from my newsletter giveaway: Elaina's wish for more summer fruit recipes!
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Juicy and Sweet Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail
Every home bartender should get acquainted with the smash cocktail. It's simple to make, with only one spirit involved. It doesn't have to be bourbon, any liquor would work, like in my Strawberry Gin Smash, but bourbon plays well with the sweetness of the cherries.
A smash smashes fresh ingredients like herbs and muddled fruit with sweeteners and spirits, drop in some ice and top with water. And because it's so vague, there's no way to really mess it up. It's like the chill, summer-perfect sister of the springtime's Kentucky Derby favorite, the Mint Julep.
Our cherry smash is fragrant and full of fruity flavor, mixed with smooth bourbon with vanilla and caramel undertones, brightened up by lemon juice and the spicy fizz of ginger beer. And my non-alcoholic friends don't need to fret, I have a great mocktail version, too.
Ingredients Needed for this Cocktail
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pitted Cherries - thawed frozen cherries work beautifully here out of season, but we are looking for dark, sweet cherries at the grocery store or at the orchard!
- Bourbon - I use a classic bourbon like Maker's Mark, which is known as a smoother bourbon. A sweet Tennessee whiskey could work as well for a cherry whiskey smash.
- Thyme - a lemony herb like thyme adds tasty herbaceous flavor.
- Lemon Juice + Zest - I love adding the zest to my cocktail, but it's completely optional
- Cane Sugar - if you're making a big batch, you'll want to make a simple syrup instead.
- Ginger beer - this is our mixer, and I love the strong and fizzy flavor. If you're wary of the spiciness of ginger beer, use club soda or ginger ale instead.
How to Make a Cherry Bourbon Smash
Step 1 | Lightly muddle the cherries in the bottom of your glass with sugar, lemon juice and zest. The muddled cherries won't mush down, they'll keep popping back up, don't worry about squishing them, we just want to release the juices.
Step 2 | Drop in the ice, add the bourbon and stir well, then top with club soda or ginger beer. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme and a cherry.
Make a Cherry Smash Mocktail
This is a refreshing mocktail, and great for kids! Omit the bourbon and swap it for fresh cherry juice or cherry soda!
Variations and Pro Tips
- Want a cherry smash without the muddled cherries and herbs? Do it in a cocktail shaker and strain into your ice-filled glass instead.
- Cherries go great with fresh herbs. Try muddling with sweet basil or fresh mint leaves.
- Other Sweeteners - use maple syrup, agave, or make a cherry syrup to amp up the cherry flavor! The syrup will last for a month in the fridge in a mason jar of airtight bottle.
- Cherry Lime Bourbon Smash - the tartness of lime juice works well with the sweeter flavors!
- Try cherry-infused bourbon or make your own!
Equipment
- Muddler - you could also use the back of a wooden spoon to help muddle.
- Cherry Pitter - trust me, save yourself the time and frustration of pitting cherries by hand.
- Rocks glass or double old fashioned glass
More Summery Cocktails
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Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail
Equipment
- Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 5 dark sweet cherries, pitted
- ½ lemon, juice and zest
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves, removed from stem
- ice
- 3 ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces ginger beer
- thyme sprigs and a cherry, optional; for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly muddle the cherries in the bottom of the rocks glass with the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and thyme leaves to release the juice from the cherries.5 dark sweet cherries, ½ lemon, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
- Add ice to the glass, then stir in the bourbon. Fill the glass with the ginger beer. Garnish with more herbs and a cherry.ice, 3 ounces bourbon, 2 ounces ginger beer, thyme sprigs and a cherry
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