Georgia Peach Bourbon Smash

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Cocktail shaker or large mixing glass
• •Muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon)
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Rocks glass or short tumbler
• •Bar spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Select your peach

   Start with a peach that smells like summer. Hold it close and breathe in. If it does not perfume the air around it, put it back and find one that does. The fruit should yield slightly when pressed near the stem, with skin that blushes deep gold and crimson. This is the foundation of everything. A mediocre peach makes a mediocre drink, no matter how good your bourbon.

   Freestone peaches work best here because the flesh releases cleanly from the pit. Clingstone varieties fight you, and you will end up with a mangled mess.
2. 2

   Muddle the foundation

   Drop three or four peach wedges into a sturdy cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Add the mint leaves on top. Now here is where most folks go wrong: they beat the life out of everything. You want to press and twist, not pulverize. Five or six firm presses with your muddler, rotating as you go. The peach should release its juice and the mint should give up its oils without turning to green confetti. You should smell both immediately, bright and sweet and herbal.

3. 3

   Build the drink

   Pour in your bourbon. Use something with character, a wheated bourbon or a high-rye that can stand up to the fruit without disappearing. Add the fresh lemon juice and honey syrup. The honey rounds out the peach's natural sweetness while the lemon keeps everything from becoming cloying. Fill the shaker with regular ice cubes and shake hard for twelve to fifteen seconds. You want it cold, you want it mixed, you want tiny ice chips starting to form.

   I prefer honey syrup to simple syrup here because it echoes the floral notes in a ripe peach. Make it by stirring equal parts honey and warm water until the honey dissolves completely. Keeps refrigerated for two weeks.
4. 4

   Strain and pour

   Fill a rocks glass or a short tumbler with crushed ice, packing it loosely to the rim. Strain the bourbon mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to catch the peach pulp and mint bits. Some folks skip this step and drink it chunky. That is their business. I like a cleaner sip with all the flavor and none of the debris. The liquid should be a gorgeous sunset color, somewhere between amber and rose.

5. 5

   Crown with ginger beer

   Top with the ginger beer, pouring slowly down the inside of the glass so it does not foam over. The ginger beer must be cold and it must be spicy. Those sweet, mild versions have no place here. You want the burn to cut through the sweetness, to make the drink interesting. Stir gently once or twice with a bar spoon to marry everything together without losing all the fizz.

6. 6

   Garnish and serve

   Tuck a fresh peach slice against the inside of the glass where it catches the light. Slap a mint sprig between your palms to wake up the oils, then nestle it into the crushed ice. Hand it to someone you care about and watch their face when they take the first sip. That is the whole point of making drinks: the moment of sharing.

Chef Tips

• •Bourbon selection matters but do not overthink it. Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, or Maker's Mark all work beautifully. Save the expensive single barrels for sipping neat.
• •For a crowd, make a pitcher: muddle eight peaches with a big handful of mint, add a full bottle of bourbon, one cup of lemon juice, and three quarters cup of honey syrup. Strain into a pitcher with ice. Top each glass individually with ginger beer to keep the fizz alive.
• •No ripe peaches? Frozen work surprisingly well. Thaw them slightly and muddle while still cold. The flavor is honest, even if the texture is different.
• •If you want more heat, add two thin slices of fresh ginger to the muddle. The ginger beer provides burn, but fresh ginger adds a different kind of warmth.
• •The honey syrup can be made with local wildflower honey for a more complex floral note. Every honey tastes different. That is the beauty of cooking with real ingredients.

Advance Preparation

• •Honey syrup keeps refrigerated for up to two weeks. Make a large batch at the start of peach season and you are always ready.
• •Peaches can be sliced and refrigerated up to four hours ahead. Cover tightly so they do not brown.
• •For parties, pre-muddle the peach and mint mixture up to one hour ahead. Keep covered and chilled. Add bourbon and shake to order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)