One of my all-time favorite summertime beverages is the Apricot Bourbon Smash cocktail! I love Bourbon Smash cocktails, they are some of my favorite cocktail recipes. I like to experiment with a wide variety of fruits and berries when making Bourbon Smash recipes. Sweet, cool, and refreshing, it’s easy to drink and easy to make. I use Apricots in this Bourbon Smash cocktail, but all stone fruits are excellent with bourbon. Peaches, plums, and nectarines have all been amazing as substitutes for apricots. When muddling fruits or berries in cocktails I mix it up quite a bit and I usually just go by what looks the best when making a selection.
I always taste a slice of the apricot before making my Apricot Bourbon Smash cocktail recipe to determine how sweet it is. Not all apricots are created equal and some will be sweeter than others. I use a simple syrup as the sweetener. I vary the amount based on how sweet the apricot is in order to get the best results. I’ve found that apricots are usually at the peak roughly around the first or second week in August. They’re sweet, juicy, and just about the most perfect thing you’ve ever tasted. Mix in a little ice-cold bourbon, and some lemon and you’ve got yourself a party.
There is a lot of fruit being muddled in this cocktail and it will clog up your cocktail shaker in the blink of an eye. For best results, muddle the fruit and liquor together in a tall glass without then strain the mixture into a cocktail shaker over ice. You’ll save yourself a big mess!
Here’s my Apricot Bourbon Smash Cocktail recipe:
Apricot Bourbon Smash
Equipment
- Muddling Tool
- Cocktail Shaker
- Strainer
Ingredients
- 1 Apricot Fresh or frozen
- 4 Ounces Bourbon
- 2 Ounces Aperol Orange Liqueur
- 1-2 Ounces Simple Syrup Depends on the sweetness of the peaches
- 1 Lemon Juice only
Garnish
- 2 Mint Sprigs
- 2 Slices Lemon
- 4 Slices Fresh Apricot
Instructions
- Slice the apricot in half and remove the stone, slice each half into 6-8 slices (depends on the size of the apricot), taste a slice to determine how much simple syrup to use.
- Reserve 4 slices for garnish
- Place the remaining apricot slices into a tall glass, add the liquor and simple syrup, muddle the mixture well
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker and strain the muddled liquor into it, cover and shake well
- Strain into a tumbler over ice
- Garnish with apricot slices, lemon slice, and mint
Nutrition
