I just made a hot honey peach bourbon smash that drinks like summer in a glass and I swear it might be my favorite of all Smash Cocktails.

Jump to Recipe

I’m obsessed with this Hot Honey Peach Bourbon Smash. I love how ripe peaches, peeled and sliced turn into this sticky, sun-bright mess that sings with bourbon.

I adore the hit of hot honey that makes the peach sing like it’s mad at summer. It’s so loud and a little reckless.

And when the bourbon shows up, everything calms into a dangerous kind of delicious. Call it a Smash Cocktails vibe but I treat it like a Peach Bourbon Sour gone wild.

I want this by my pool, on my porch, anytime I need a drink that tastes like summer.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Peaches bring juicy, slightly fuzzy sweetness and stuff to muddle with your hands.
Bourbon adds warm oak, a little bite, and grownup comfort.
Hot honey gives sticky heat and a floral sweetness that lingers.
Basically lemon brightens everything with sharp, clean zip.
Simple syrup tames tartness, makes it feel smooth and easy.
Mint leaves add cool herbal lift and a nice aroma.
Plus ginger beer brings spicy fizz and a playful kick.
Crushed ice chills fast, waters slightly, and gives crushable crunch.
Peach slice makes it pretty and gives a juicy nibble.
A pinch of salt wakes flavors up; it’s surprisingly handy.
Drizzling more hot honey makes it glossed and warmly spicy.

Ingredient Quantities

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup muddle-able chunks)

2 oz bourbon per cocktail

1 tbsp hot honey, plus extra for drizzling

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1/4 oz simple syrup or a quick splash if you like it sweeter

6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

2 to 3 oz ginger beer to top each glass

Crushed ice enough to fill the glass

Peach slices or wedges for garnish

Optional pinch kosher salt to brighten flavors

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Peel and slice 2 ripe peaches into about 1 cup of chunks, toss in a tiny pinch of kosher salt if you want the flavors to pop more.

2. In a sturdy glass or cocktail shaker muddle the peaches with 1 tbsp hot honey, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz simple syrup (or a splash more if you like it sweeter), and 6 to 8 torn mint leaves until the peaches are broken down but still a bit chunky.

3. Add 2 oz bourbon to the muddled peach mix and gently stir or give the shaker a few quick shakes to combine and chill slightly.

4. Fill a rocks glass or short tumbler about 3/4 full with crushed ice.

5. Strain the bourbon and peach mixture over the crushed ice, letting some small bits of peach through for texture.

6. Top each glass with 2 to 3 oz ginger beer, pouring slowly so it fizzes up nicely without overflowing.

7. Give the drink a quick, gentle stir to marry the ginger beer with the muddled peach bourbon.

8. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a peach slice or wedge, and drizzle a little extra hot honey on top if you want more heat and shine.

9. Taste and adjust: add a tiny splash more simple syrup if too tart, or a dash more lemon if it needs brightness.

10. Serve immediately over crushed ice so it stays cold and refreshing, and warn guests to sip slowly, this thing goes down easy.

Equipment Needed

1. Vegetable peeler
2. Cutting board
3. Chef knife (or a small paring knife)
4. Muddler or sturdy wooden spoon
5. Cocktail shaker or a sturdy jar with a lid
6. Jigger or measuring spoons
7. Fine mesh strainer or cocktail strainer
8. Rocks glass or short tumbler plus a spoon for stirring

FAQ

Q: Can I make this drink without alcohol? A: Yes, swap bourbon for equal parts strong black tea or a non alcoholic bourbon substitute, or just use more ginger beer. It keeps the warm, slightly bitter backbone without the buzz.

Q: What is hot honey and can I use regular honey? A: Hot honey is honey infused with chili for heat. You can use regular honey, just add a tiny pinch of cayenne or a drop of hot sauce if you want the kick. Or make quick hot honey by warming honey with red pepper flakes for a few minutes, then strain.

Q: How ripe should the peaches be and can I use frozen? A: Use ripe but still firm peaches so they muddle but dont turn to mush. Frozen thawed peaches work in a pinch, they may be softer and sweeter so taste before adding simple syrup.

Q: How do I muddle the mint and peaches without getting bitter mint? A: Gently press the mint against the peach chunks just enough to release the oils, dont pulverize the leaves. Over muddling mint makes it bitter, so a few soft claps with the muddler is all you need.

Q: Can I make these ahead for a party? A: Make a peach bourbon base (muddled peaches, bourbon, lemon, hot honey and syrup) and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready, strain into glasses over crushed ice, add mint, top with ginger beer and garnish. Do not add ginger beer until serving so it stays fizzy.

Q: Any tips to balance sweetness and flavor? A: Taste as you go. If too sweet, add a little more lemon or a pinch of kosher salt to brighten. If too tart, a splash more hot honey or simple syrup. Crushed ice dilutes slightly, so keep that in mind when you sweeten.

Hot Honey Peach Bourbon Smash Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Bourbon: swap with rye whiskey for a spicier kick, or use aged rum if you want something sweeter and softer.
Hot honey: use honey mixed with a pinch of cayenne, or use chili-infused syrup for an even more consistent heat.
Fresh lemon juice: substitute lime juice for a brighter, tarter edge, or use a splash of white balsamic for a milder, slightly sweet acidity.
Ginger beer: top with club soda plus a few dashes of ginger bitters, or use ginger ale if you prefer it sweeter and less fizzy.

Pro Tips

– Muddle smart, not savage: press the peaches gently so you still have some chunks for texture, and bruise the mint instead of shredding it or itll get bitter. Use the back of a spoon or a wooden muddler and rotate after every few presses so everything mixes evenly.

– Chill everything: put your glass and bourbon in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes before mixing so the crushed ice doesnt melt right away. Cold ingredients mean brighter flavor and less dilution, which keeps that ginger beer fizz tasting fresh.

– Tweak the heat and sweet like a pro: start with the tablespoon of hot honey and add more by the drizzle, not up front. If the drink tastes flat, a tiny pinch of kosher salt or an extra squeeze of lemon wakes it up. If its too spicy, a quick splash more simple syrup calms it down.

– Pick complementary bourbon and ginger beer: choose a bourbon with soft caramel or stone fruit notes so it plays nice with the peaches, and go for a ginger beer thats bold but not medicinal. Too gingery will fight the fruit, too mild will get lost.

Hot Honey Peach Bourbon Smash Recipe

Recipe by Sam Ecclestone

0.0 from 0 votes

I just made a hot honey peach bourbon smash that drinks like summer in a glass and I swear it might be my favorite of all Smash Cocktails.

Servings

servings

Calories

260

kcal

Equipment: 1. Vegetable peeler
2. Cutting board
3. Chef knife (or a small paring knife)
4. Muddler or sturdy wooden spoon
5. Cocktail shaker or a sturdy jar with a lid
6. Jigger or measuring spoons
7. Fine mesh strainer or cocktail strainer
8. Rocks glass or short tumbler plus a spoon for stirring

Ingredients

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup muddle-able chunks)
2 oz bourbon per cocktail
1 tbsp hot honey, plus extra for drizzling
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup or a quick splash if you like it sweeter
6 to 8 fresh mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
2 to 3 oz ginger beer to top each glass
Crushed ice enough to fill the glass
Peach slices or wedges for garnish
Optional pinch kosher salt to brighten flavors

Directions

Peel and slice 2 ripe peaches into about 1 cup of chunks, toss in a tiny pinch of kosher salt if you want the flavors to pop more.
In a sturdy glass or cocktail shaker muddle the peaches with 1 tbsp hot honey, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, 1/4 oz simple syrup (or a splash more if you like it sweeter), and 6 to 8 torn mint leaves until the peaches are broken down but still a bit chunky.
Add 2 oz bourbon to the muddled peach mix and gently stir or give the shaker a few quick shakes to combine and chill slightly.
Fill a rocks glass or short tumbler about 3/4 full with crushed ice.
Strain the bourbon and peach mixture over the crushed ice, letting some small bits of peach through for texture.
Top each glass with 2 to 3 oz ginger beer, pouring slowly so it fizzes up nicely without overflowing.
Give the drink a quick, gentle stir to marry the ginger beer with the muddled peach bourbon.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and a peach slice or wedge, and drizzle a little extra hot honey on top if you want more heat and shine.
Taste and adjust: add a tiny splash more simple syrup if too tart, or a dash more lemon if it needs brightness.
Serve immediately over crushed ice so it stays cold and refreshing, and warn guests to sip slowly, this thing goes down easy.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.