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    Home » Recipes

    Blackberry Basil Bourbon Smash

    Jul 17, 2022 · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Have some blackberries floating around in your fridge? Make this blackberry basil bourbon smash! It's full of summer flavors like lemon and basil, and is the perfect balance of sweet and sophisticated. It's sweetened with honey, so there are no refined sugars, and it's super refreshing and delicious.

    Two glasses full of blackberry basil bourbon smash garnished with basil leaves.

    This is the perfect drink for summer. Make it for yourself, or mix up a pitcher of it for a summer BBQ. It's sure to impress all of your friends. Looking for other cocktail recipes? Try our skinny orange grapefruit margarita or holiday rum punch. Need something without alcohol--we have mocktails too. Our coconut water mocktail is my personal favorite.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Blackberry Basil Bourbon Smash Recipe

    Ingredients

    • Blackberries
    • Fresh basil
    • Bourbon whiskey
    • Honey
    • Lemon
    • Soda water

    See recipe card for amounts.

    Instructions

    Add blackberries and basil leaves to the bottom of a cocktail glass and use a cocktail muddler to muddle (crush) the berries and basil into a fine pulp. If you don't have a muddler, you can use the tip of the handle on a wooden spoon.

    Blackberries and basil in the bottom of a cocktail glass being muddled with a muddler.
    Muddled blackberries in the bottom of a cocktail glass.

    Next, make the honey simple syrup. In a separate small bowl or glass, combine boiling water and honey and mix until the honey is dissolved. Then add the simple syrup to the glass with the blackberries.

    A mixture of honey and hot water in a bowl.

    Add the bourbon and lemon juice to the glass and stir with a spoon. Then add ice and top the glass off with soda water.

    Bourbon being poured into a cocktail glass filled with blackberries.
    Lemon being squeezed into a cocktail glass filled with muddled blackberries and bourbon.
    Club soda being poured into a cocktail glass of blackberries, bourbon, and ice.

    Garnish with blackberries and basil leaves and serve!

    The top view of a cocktail glass with a pink cocktail garnished with basil.

    Variations

    • Use lime juice instead of lemon juice
    • Use regular simple syrup instead of honey
    • Replace the blackberries with raspberries
    • Swap the basil out for mint
    • Don't like bourbon? Try gin or vodka instead

    Frequently asked questions

    What if I don't like the bits of blackberry floating around in my drink?

    That's totally fine! Before you add the club soda, use a fine mesh strainer to filter out the bits of blackberry and basil.

    Can I make this a mocktail?

    Yes! Replace the bourbon with lemonade for a great mocktail option. My pregnant wife loves it.

    Can I use a different type of liquor?

    Yes! Try gin or vodka instead of bourbon.

    Can I make this for a crowd?

    Sure! Multiply the recipe by the number of people you plan on serving and make it in a pitcher instead of a glass. Add the club soda and ice to each person's glass as you serve it (otherwise the club soda will be flat and the ice will water it down).

    The top view of two pink cocktails garnished with basil leaves.
    Blackberry Basil Bourbon Smash Recipe

    Blackberry Basil Bourbon Smash Recipe

    Recipe by Michael

    This blackberry basil bourbon smash is full of summer flavors like lemon and basil, and is the perfect balance of sweet and sophisticated. It's sweetened with honey, so there are no refined sugars, and it's super refreshing and delicious.

    Course: DrinksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    5 from 1 vote
    Pin
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    Servings

    1

    servings
    Prep time

    10

    minutes
    Cooking time

    0

    minutes
    Calories

    200

    kcal
    Total time

    10

    minutes
    Cook Mode

    Prevent your screen from going dark!

    Ingredients

    • ⅓ cup ⅓ blackberries (plus more for garnish)

    • 3 3 fresh basil leaves (plus more for garnish)

    • 2 ounces 2 bourbon whiskey

    • ½ ounce ½ honey

    • ½ ounce ½ boiling water

    • 2 ounces 2 soda water

    Directions

    • Add blackberries and basil leaves to the bottom of a cocktail glass and use a cocktail muddler to muddle (crush) the berries and basil into a fine pulp.
    • In a separate small bowl or glass, combine boiling water and honey and mix until the honey is dissolved. Then add the simple syrup to the glass with the blackberries.
    • Add the bourbon and lemon juice to the glass and stir with a spoon. Then add ice and top the glass off with soda water.
    • Garnish with blackberries and basil leaves and serve immediately.

    Notes

    • If you don't have a muddler, you can use the tip of the handle on a wooden spoon.
    • If you don't like the bits of blackberry floating around, use a fine mesh strainer to filter out the bits of blackberry and basil before you add the club soda.

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    hi, we're Michael and Mollie

    Welcome! We are Michael & Mollie, a hangry economics enthusiast and her husband. Our goal is to provide you with delicious, accessible, and healthy-ish recipes that are both time- and money-efficient.

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