The Whiskey Smash is a mixologist cocktail from Manhattan, 2002. Built on bourbon, served in a old fashioned, around 24% ABV. Dale DeGroff revived this from 19th-century manuals (Jerry Thomas printed a Smash in 1862). Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey perfected the modern version in the early 2000s.
What goes in a Whiskey Smash?
- ·2 oz bourbon
- ·3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- ·3/4 oz simple syrup
- ·6 fresh mint leaves
- ·Mint sprig to garnish
How do you make a Whiskey Smash?
- Muddle the mint leaves with the syrup in the shaker.
- Add bourbon, lemon, and ice. Shake hard until very cold.
- Double-strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass.
- Slap a mint sprig and garnish.
What should you know before making a Whiskey Smash?
- Slap the mint sprig garnish (don't crush it) to release oils without bruising the leaves.
- Crushed ice fills the glass. Cubed ice leaves dead space.
- Use a mint sprig with stems for the muddle, leaves for the garnish. Whole leaves muddled get bitter.
Where did the Whiskey Smash come from?
Dale DeGroff revived this from 19th-century manuals (Jerry Thomas printed a Smash in 1862). Sasha Petraske's Milk & Honey perfected the modern version in the early 2000s. Mint and lemon together work like nothing else with bourbon. Summer in a glass. The Smash format predates the Mint Julep and is the rougher cousin of the Mojito.
According to Dale DeGroff (1990s revival), modernized by Sasha Petraske at Milk & Honey (2002).
What cocktails are similar to a Whiskey Smash?
Common questions.
What is in a Whiskey Smash?
Two ounces of bourbon, three-quarters of an ounce of fresh lemon juice, three-quarters of an ounce of simple syrup, and six fresh mint leaves. Muddled, shaken, and double-strained over crushed ice.
What's the difference between a Whiskey Smash and a Mint Julep?
The Whiskey Smash has lemon juice. The Mint Julep does not. The Smash is brighter and more citrus-forward; the Julep is sweeter and more whiskey-forward.
Who invented the modern Whiskey Smash?
Dale DeGroff revived the 1862 Jerry Thomas recipe in the 1990s. Sasha Petraske at Milk & Honey perfected the modern version in 2002.
What bourbon should I use for a Whiskey Smash?
A 90-proof bourbon (Buffalo Trace, Old Forester 100, Knob Creek 9). Lower-proof bourbon gets buried under the lemon and mint.