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Home » Recipes » Cocktails

Blackberry Bourbon Smash

Published: Jul 24, 2023 by Lexi

68 shares
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This Blackberry Bourbon Smash is the ideal summer cocktail – easy to make, super refreshing, well balanced, and a great use of seasonal produce! With only 6 ingredients, it's the an impressive drink for entertaining or just slow sipping on a hot afternoon.

Front view of the finished blackberry bourbon smash cocktails with purple rim and flower garnish.
These blackberry bourbon smash cocktails make for the perfect summer drink.

I'll be the first to say that I don't love bourbon on its own, but a bourbon cocktail? Sign me up!

The rich, intense flavor of bourbon pairs beautifully with ripe summer fruit like peaches, cherries, and berries (specifically blackberries!). This blackberry bourbon smash utilizes a homemade blackberry syrup for tons of flavor, and freshly squeezed lime juice to balance everything out.

It's delicious, refreshing, and perfect for a hot summer day!

Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Cocktail Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

Why We Love This Recipe

  • Well balanced flavors: Sweet blackberry + rich bourbon + tart lime juice + refreshing mint + plenty of fizz from the club soda. Every sip is perfectly balanced!
  • Fun color: The blackberry simple syrup and muddled blackberries add a deep purple hue to this cocktail, making it super fun and unique.
  • Great for summer entertaining: Make the blackberry simple syrup ahead of time so you can easily and quickly assemble these cocktails for any entertaining occasion.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this blackberry bourbon smash:

Blackberry bourbon smash ingredients including lime juice and blackberries.
Fresh mint is essential - don't skip it!

Ingredient Notes

  • Mint: Fresh mint is great in this for extra flavor! We like to use it both in the cocktail as well as for a garnish.
  • Club soda: We use this to add a bit of fizz to top off your cocktail. You can also use sparkling/seltzer water.
  • Blackberry simple syrup: We use our homemade blackberry simple syrup in this cocktail. It's super tart, sweet, and so flavorful! It's also easy to make.
  • Lime juice: Freshly squeezed is always best in cocktails.
  • Bourbon: Since there are several other ingredients in this cocktail, you don't need to use a super high quality, expensive bourbon. Something mid-range works well! You can also use whiskey if preferred.

Instructions

(1) Add bourbon, blackberry simple syrup, lime juice, and mint leaves to a cocktail shaker half filled with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. 

Pouring the cocktail ingredients into a shaker
Don't add the club soda to the cocktail shaker - it's just for topping off the final drink.

(2) Muddle a few blackberries in each cocktail glass.

Left: cocktail in shaker after shaking. Right: muddling the blackberries into each glass.
Muddle blackberries in the bottom of the glass you're serving it in.

(4) Add ice and strain the cocktail mixture into the glass. Top with club soda, stir, garnish with a sprig of mint and/or more blackberries and enjoy!

Left: straining the cocktail into the glasses. Right: topping with club soda.
Pour in the cocktail mixture and top off with club soda!

Tips and FAQs

  • Muddling: We use a muddler to mash the blackberries directly in the glass we're serving it in. Make sure to use ripe berries for maximum flavor and freshness. If you don't have a muddler, you can use the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Garnishes: Fresh mint makes for a gorgeous garnish and also adds a fragrant final touch. I also love to garnish with some fresh blackberries! Of course, you can also just serve it up plain over ice.
  • Storage: Store without club soda in a pitcher or sealed jar for up to 3 days. Shake or stir well again before serving, then top off with club soda.
Overhead of the finished blackberry bourbon smash cocktails.
Top with fresh blackberries & mint for an easy garnish.

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    Rum Moscow Mule
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    Gin Sidecar

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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📖 Recipe

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Front view of the finished blackberry bourbon smash cocktails.

Blackberry Bourbon Smash


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This Blackberry Bourbon Smash is the ideal summer cocktail – easy to make, super refreshing, well balanced, and a great use of seasonal produce! With only 6 ingredients, it's the an impressive drink for entertaining or just slow sipping on a hot afternoon.


Ingredients

  • 2 ounces bourbon or whiskey
  • 2 ounces blackberry simple syrup
  • ½ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 6 mint leaves, torn 
  • 2 ounces club soda
  • Optional: 2-3 fresh blackberries per drink


Instructions

  1. Add bourbon, blackberry simple syrup, lime juice, and mint leaves to a cocktail shaker half filled with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. 
  2. Muddle a few blackberries in a cocktail glass. Add ice and strain the cocktail mixture into the glass. 
  3. Top with club soda, stir, garnish with a sprig of mint and/or more blackberries and enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Cocktails
  • Method: Shaker
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cocktail
  • Calories: 243
  • Sugar: 28.3 g
  • Sodium: 13 mg
  • Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.4 g
  • Fiber: 0.1 g
  • Protein: 0.1 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Loree Shaw says

    August 15, 2023 at 2:21 am

    What do you have on the rim? Can’t wait to make this!!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      August 15, 2023 at 8:40 am

      It's a special lavender infused salt - we mostly just added it for the photo 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    August 01, 2023 at 3:57 pm

    I just had the most amazing experience with this recipe! The blend of fresh blackberries, the rich undertones of bourbon, and the zing of lime creates a perfect harmony of flavors. I highly recommend this recipe to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted, flavorful cocktail. Cheers! 🍹🍇🥃

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      August 14, 2023 at 11:44 am

      Love to hear that, thanks so much!

      Reply
Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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