The Conversation
Need to add some excitement to your summer cocktails? It’s time to smash it up, with some of my favorite twists on the classic cocktail! First appearing in the 1840’s, the traditional Smash is a simple cocktail of mint, sugar, and any liquor. At its height in the 1850’s it became one of the country’s most popular cocktails, but sadly our little Smash fell into decline over the years. Thankfully, with the meteoric rise of mixology, the Smash has made a blazing comeback, and is on cocktail lists around the country. Get out your muddler, It’s time to start smashing!
Summer is a great time for a Smash because fruits and herbs are so fresh and delicious!
1. Aperol Grape Smash
I’m going to tell you something, and you have to believe me. This cocktail might be one of the most drinkable (and I mean dangerously good) on planet Earth. I first discovered this gem on the yacht docks in San Diego. (No, most unfortunately I was not ON a yacht.) I wanted something refreshing, yet with a “Calgon, take me away effect.” When I tasted it, I was suddenly looking at boats in Portofino, Italy. The Aperol Smash is now my Calgon cocktail.
Ingredients:
– 1 oz Aperol
– 1 1/2 oz Stoli vodka
– 3-4 green grapes
– small handful of mint leaves
– 1/2 oz lemon juice
– 1/2 oz agave nectar
– club soda
Either slice your grapes or break out the elbow grease for a hard muddle! Join the grapes, mint, lemon juice, & agave nectar & muddle. Fill your glass with ice. Add Aperol & Stoli. Give it a good shake. I like to present this cocktail in a tulip or wine glass. It’s that special. Top with a splash of soda & a few mint leaves.
One of my taste testers, after trying this cocktail shook his head, and said, “This just isn’t fair. Alcohol isn’t supposed to taste that good…is it?” Make up a batch of this for your next summer cocktail party or brunch, & your guests will be begging for more.
2. Blackberry Whiskey Smash
Hands down, this is my new favorite whiskey cocktail! Growing up in North Carolina, picking blackberries off the vines around my Papaw’s farm, and with whiskey being my first spirit love, this cocktail is a nostalgic nod to my Southern upbringing. The Whiskey Smash was invented in 1862 by “Professor” Jerry Thomas, who by many, is considered the father of American mixology. Traditionally, the cocktail is Bourbon whiskey, mint, simple syrup, & lemon. Sounds delicious enough? Now just imagine with fresh, juicy blackberries muddled in. It’s a dream come true.
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 oz Bulleit Rye
– handful of mint leaves
– 4-5 blackberries
– 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
– 1/2 oz agave nectar
– splash of club soda, if you like
Gently muddle blackberries with mint leaves, agave, & lemon juice. Fill your glass with ice. Top with Bulleit Rye. Give it one or two firm shakes, no need to get jiggy with it. Top with soda or serve as is. Garnish with a few mint leaves.
Whiskey lovers, welcome to your new summer fling.
3. Strawberry Basil Gin Smash
It’s probably fair to say I eat my weight in strawberries. Much like Bubba in Forrest Gump with shrimp, I believe strawberries should go in anything from risotto to balsamic vinegar to dessert. And now with the surge of beautifully crafted gins on the market, this cocktail is meant to be!
Ingredients:
– 1 1/4 oz Junipero or craft botanical gin
– 5-6 slices strawberries
– 1-2 basil leaves (depending on size)
– 2 wedge squeezes of lime
– A few drops of balsamic vinegar or syrup
– 1/2 oz agave nectar
– club soda
Muddle strawberries, basil (be careful not to overmuddle and bruise leaves), lime, & agave. Add a few drops of balsamic. Fill glass with ice, & add Junipero. Give it a good shake, making sure all of the ingredients mix. Top with soda.
It’s a beautiful cocktail, bursting with red & green, with the botanical notes of the gin in a dance with the basil & strawberry. This cocktail is a summer melody.
4. Watermelon Tequila Smash
Summer = watermelon. Summer = Tequila. I’m about to make your picnics & beach parties a lot more fun. Be warned though, this one is potent! Two big words of advice. 1. Use very ripe, juicy watermelon. As a mild melon, if it isn’t flavorful, your cocktail won’t taste like anything but tequila. 2. Use a high quality blanco. If you skimp, you will hate yourself, and maybe me.
Ingredients:
– 1 oz Dobel blanco tequila
– Dark pink, ripe watermelon
– 2 wedges lime
– 3/4 oz agave nectar
– club soda
Gently muddle watermelon and lime with agave nectar. Fill glass with ice. Add tequila. (note the pour is lower on this, because of the mildness of watermelon. You don’t want to overwhelm your cocktail.) Give it a good shake. Now, if you like flotsam in your cocktail, top with soda and be done. And most smashes, I say leave as is. But watermelon gets mealy, and I don’t want a mealy cocktail! I recommend straining over fresh ice into a nice tulip glass or a traditional margarita glass, then topping with soda.
Not a tequila fan? Substitute a high quality vodka, and up your pour to 1 1/2 ounces if you like.
5. Blueberry Rum Smash
Get ready to go on your siesta! This drink has been lovingly referred to by fans as “a vacation in a glass.” So close your eyes, imagine you are on the island of St. John, looking out at crystal-blue water, holding your Rum Smash, and smile.
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 oz 10 Cane Rum brown sugar
– small handful of blueberries
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– 3/4 oz lemon juice
– thinly sliced lemon and extra blueberries
Gently muddle the blueberries, brown sugar, & lemon juice. We don’t want to annihilate the blueberries, we just want to release the juices! (I dare say massage them.) Fill your glass with ice. Add rum, and give it a good shake, dissolving the sugar and melding the flavors. Top with your favorite ginger beer. (You can use ginger ale in a pinch, but trust me, the beer is tops.) Garnish with a thin lemon slice and a spike of blueberries.
Ahh, now go to your island happy place.
Until next time, have a smashingly good summer! Cheers.
What are your favorite summer cocktails? Tell us in the comments below.
With over 15 years in the beverage industry and as the founder of The Promiscuous Palate, Laurie loves to share her passion for craft beer, wine, & spirits. With over 700 published reviews under her belt, Laurie is always ready with a glass of bubbly.
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It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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