Ms. S&C’s recent love affair with bourbon has been well-documented: bourbon mojitos, bourbon with clementines and apricots, bourbon with grapefruit. (And with Miss Mojito’s help, the list goes on and on.)
When two of Ms. S&C’s favorite friends announce they are moving to Colorado — and throw one last goodbye bash — how does Ms. S&C celebrate? With bourbon cocktails!
Inspired by an abundance of mint growing in her friends’ backyard — and an earlier conversation about bourbon (specifically in regards to organizing a team for Bourbon Chase 2010) — Ms. S&C was on the hunt for a refreshing new cocktail containing these choice ingredients. She ran across the Bourbon & Peach Smash over at Imbibe Magazine. Reminiscent of a fancy bourbon and ginger, it incorporated fresh, seasonal ingredients (there’s really no excuse for anything else this time of the year). And it was perfect. She’s convinced bourbon can be enjoyed year-round: bourbon in the morning, bourbon in the evening, bourbon in the summertime.
Ms. S&C’s love affair with bourbon continues. A clementine old-fashioned during the winter, mojitos during the spring — and now, a peach ginger smash for the summer.
Bourbon & Peach Smash
adapted from Imbibe Magazine, serves one
Ingredients:
- Ice
- 2 slices fresh peach
- 4 or 5 fresh mint leaves
- 1 slice fresh ginger (pickled ginger is also okay)
- 1 oz. infused simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 1 1/2 oz. fine bourbon (such as Buffalo Trace)
- Ginger ale (preferably a higher-quality brand that doesn’t contain sodium and added preservatives; think Whole Foods and the like)
Directions:
For the simple syrup: bring to a boil, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, handful of mint leaves and peels from two peaches. Stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Cool completely and strain mint leaves and peach peels. You’ll be left with a syrup with a lovely pinkish hue.
Add slice peaches, mint, ginger and simple syrup in a cocktail glass and muddle vigorously. Add bourbon and fill glass with ice. Top with ginger ale.
posted by Ms. S&C
Shoes & Cocktails 
Boubon scares me, big time. The smell alone makes me cringe. Is there anyway a girl whose alcohol habits include beer, raspberry or any other fruity vodka and diet sprit, could possibly enjoy this drink? honest. I would love to try a new summer cocktail, but bourbon scares me!
@Kathy, you definitely shouldn’t be drinking anything that makes you cringe! There are plenty of cocktail options out there that would suit your palate. How do you feel about rum? How do you feel about a happy hour cocktail sampling? (You know, drinking for research :-) ) We’ll start you off with a *taste* of my bourbon cocktail and then go from there. It would be fun!