Mojitos have been a popular summer drink for many years now, becoming thee go-to summer drink for many bars and patrons in recent years.
However, in the last year or two, as that cocktail has — I dunno — maybe hit critical mass or become tired and familiar to some people, there’s been an uptick in talk about smashes.
I only ever had my first smash a year ago and it’s been my drink of choice this summer.
Imbibe Magazine published this history of Smashes last summer and it continues to be an article I go back to from time to time.
In the piece, the Imbibe writer retraces the history of the drink to its first published recipes. What’s interesting about this history of the Smash is that those first recipes varied in terms of the base spirit used, the type of ice used and the style of glassware.
After retracing the history of the drink, the writer builds up to this point:
Though there are often more variables these days—sometimes the ice is crushed, sometimes shaved, sometimes the fruit is added to the drink, sometimes it’s just a garnish—the basic elements remain consistent: a spirit base, ice, sometimes a splash of water, mint (or other herb), sugar, and the ever-present seasonal fruit.
I feel like I’ve really only seen the basic lemon-flavored Whiskey Smash on cocktail menus, and that’s fine… It’s a delicious drink. But it’s sort if the gateway Smash, or at least it was for me. Once you read about the Smash formula (spirit, ice, fruit, mint & sugar), then you begin to realize the nearly endless possibilities.
I posted last week about a bourbon Smash I’d made with black raspberries, but today I’m focusing on plums:
About This Cocktail
This “Bourbon Plum Smash” is a variation on the basic whiskey smash with fresh plums from the Downtown Jamestown Farmers Market.
Ingredients
•2 oz Knob Creek
•1/2 oz lemon juice
•1/2 oz simple syrup
•1/2 small sweet red plum
•1/2 small tart prune plum
•6 mint leaves
Preparation
Place mint leaves and quartered plums in a pint glass with the simple syrup and lemon juice. Muddle. Add ice and bourbon then shake aggressively and double strain the drink into a chilled martini glass.
A quick search of the internet is going to turn up a lot of recipes. Here’s one that uses a ginger syrup. Here’s another which swaps mint for sage and adds some orange bitters.
Frontier Mixology 