Cherry bourbon smash is one of our favorite ways to use fresh cherries in the summer. The fruit gets muddled with basil and a little syrup, then mixed with bourbon and club soda. It’s easy to put together and tastes like a drink that took more effort than it did. When cherries are in season, this is what my husband wants in his glass.
I must confess — I don’t like bourbon, so I haven’t even tasted this pretty cocktail. But my husband loves bourbon, and he loves this drink.
Cherry Bourbon Smash is a play on the classic Whiskey Smash, with the cherries added for a fruity twist.
Testing results for cherry bourbon smash
- We tested this cocktail with Jim Beam because it’s universally available. However, my husband, a bourbon lover, prefers something like Buffalo Trace or another good quality bourbon.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Looking for more refreshing drinks? Try our Southern sweet tea or our Blackberry Mojito, another favorite summer cocktail.
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Fresh basil or mint: The fresh basil or mint is essential to help cut the sweetness in this cherry bourbon smash and add a nice herbal flavor.
Fresh cherries: You can use frozen cherries in a pinch, but this is really a cocktail that celebrates the wonderful flavor of fresh, in-season cherries.
Simple syrup: Store-bought simple syrup exists, but it’s so unnecessary. My husband doesn’t cook ANYTHING, but he can make simple syrup: Place equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the sugar is dissolved. That’s it. Store it in the fridge and it keeps for up to two weeks.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make a cherry bourbon smash
- Add basil, pitted cherries, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker and muddle thoroughly.
- Add bourbon and ice and shake until cold.
- Place ice and cherries in a glass and pour the cocktail over, topping with club soda. Garnish with basil leaves.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Cherry Bourbon Smash Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 8 basil or mint leaves
- 8 cherries, pitted
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ice
- club soda
To garnish
- basil
- cherries
- edible flowers
Instructions
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add the 8 basil or mint leaves, 8 cherries, pitted and 1 tablespoon simple syrup.
- Muddle thoroughly to release the juices from the cherries and the flavor from the basil leaves.
- Pour in the 2 ounces bourbon, fill the cocktail shaker with ice then shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker feels ice cold.
- Add ice and cherries to a cocktail glass.
- Strain the cocktail into the glass then add club soda to top it off.
- Garnish with basil, extra cherries and an edible flowers or two!
Notes
- We used basil as one of the main flavor notes in this cocktail, but you’ll often find this recipe champions fresh mint. Why not try both and see which you prefer?
- To amp up the cherry flavor, you could substitute the bourbon with cherry infused bourbon.
- The cocktail term ‘muddling’ means squishing! Add the basil, cherries, and simple syrup to a shaker and squish them to release all the beautiful flavors. If you don’t have a muddler, then the back of a spoon will work too.
- As you can see, we used edible flowers in this cocktail to add to the summer garden vibes. These particular flowers are tiny violas. They are easy to grow in pots in your garden and will reward you for the whole growing season. Please do check that any flowers you use are indeed edible.
