Smashes are really summer drinks, because they demand fresh produce and pay you back by being cold, intensely refreshing, and bursting with bright summer flavors. This one is one of the best: a Blackberry Whiskey Smash that even Nole liked (and she usually hates whiskey). –Andrew

Blackberry Whiskey Smash

2 oz Whiskey
1 oz Lemon Oleo Saccharum (you can substitute with simple syrup if needed)
Half a Lemon, Quartered
5-7 Blackberries

To make the oleo saccharum: peel four lemons with a sharp knife or peeler, avoiding the bitter white pith as much as possible. Combine the peels with a cup of raw sugar in a nonreactive bowl and muddle the sugar into the peels. Let the mix sit until the lemon peels’ oils have dissolved the sugar into a syrup. You may need to muddle again to help the process along or stir in a few ounces of hot water to help fully dissolve the sugar. Remove the peels and bottle the resulting syrup. Makes about a cup. This should keep, refrigerated, for a month.

To make the Smash: combine the whiskey, oleo saccharum, lemon, and blackberries in a cocktail shaker. Muddle the lemons and blackberries, then fill the shaker two-thirds with ice. Shake well and then finely strain the Smash into a tumbler glass filled with fresh crushed ice. Garnish with more blackberries and enjoy!

In addition to being gorgeously purple, this drink is bright with fruit and citrus flavors. It’s rounded out by deep, rich, and mellow whiskey.

You might remember oleo saccharum from when we made traditional punch a while back. It’s a key ingredient of punches, but it hadn’t occurred to us to use this intensely fragrant, flavorful syrup in other drinks until recently. It’s citrusy but not tart, relying on the fragrant lemon peel oil for all its power. Those lemon oils help bind the flavors of this Smash together, but also intensify them – making this drink pop with blackberry flavor.

Oleo Saccharum is a bit of work to make, and your Smash won’t be terrible if you make it with regular simple syrup. But if you feel like going the extra step, you’ll be happy with the results.

(Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!)

Glassware by Liquorary

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper