Happy Kentucky Derby eve! In honor of the “most exciting two minutes in sports”, and that Kentucky is home to America’s Official Spirit, it’s only right that we drink copious amounts of bourbon this weekend. Since the vast majority of people are sipping mint juleps, I think we should stand out a bit and enjoy a whiskey smash instead.
The whiskey smash recipe comes from the PDT cocktail book. Speaking of PDT, I’ve been there a couple of times. It has become a bit touristy thanks to the boom in speakeasy type bars, which means the wait to get in is usually long, but I would say it’s worth going to once or twice. They do make a tasty beverage. Anyway, on to the recipe:
2 oz. Rittenhouse Bonded Rye Whiskey
3 Lemon wedges
.75 oz Simple syrup
6 Mint leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
Muddle the lemon wedges, mint leaves and simple syrup. Add the rye, then shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with the mint sprig.
The whiskey smash is essentially a mint julep with some fresh lemon muddled in with the mint. Also, I didn’t use rye. I went with Bulleit bourbon, because that’s what was in my bar. Despite the base spirit substitution, this might be one of my all time favorite cocktails. The whiskey smash is dangerously delicious. This drink goes down smooth, and you can hardly taste the bourbon at all. The sweet lemon mint flavor carries the taste most of the way, with a little hint of some whiskey underneath. Which is a good thing and a bad thing. Having two or three of these in one sitting is very easy. You won’t feel the effects of the bourbon much…until you try and stand up. THEN it hits you. The whiskey smash is a perfect late spring and all summer drink.
Happy weekend everyone. Good luck tomorrow and PRAISE GAMBLOR!
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[…] being associated with the Derby. If I have mint and bourbon on hand, I think I would rather make a whiskey smash. It has the same ingredients, but with added lemon. That makes a ton of difference. The lemon adds […]
[…] up is a drink of my own making. It’s a bit of a twist on the Whiskey Smash I wrote about for the Kentucky Derby. This time instead of mint I’m subbing in some sage, […]
I once made a mint simple syrup which was superb with Rye.
“Want to experience the most exciting 15 seconds in Kentucky?”
–Rick Pitino
No drink for Sunday?
(Tequila, lime juice, Grand Marnier, ice, salt)
This guy gets it.
I had a choice and chose bourbon over tequila. Of which, I have not yet featured, but will work that into the column hopefully soon.
No criticism intended…just pointing that this is a very good drinking weekend.
Oh I figured. It is a shame I haven’t involved tequila yet.
Paloma is a good gateway one
Great minds. I should have scrolled all the way down…
Do a Paloma. It’s a much better tequila drink. Very popular in Mexico.
That seems like a proper beverage. A couple of years ago on Derby Day I made mint juleps and they were so tasty I didn’t make it past 6:00. Missed dinner and everything.
It also sounds like a whiskey sour with some mint in it.
As a long time Kentucky resident, Rick Pitino has a tradition of making passionate love to a woman, and then catching the final minute and a half of the big race.