This week’s happy hour at home begs you to make this seasonal Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail recipe. Fresh, tart cherries pair beautifully with quality bourbon for this crowd-pleasing drink.
This year, I am taking full advantage of all of the seasonal, fresh produce sales. I just can’t pass up a good deal. These cherries were only a few dollars per pound recently here in southern Illinois, so I knew I had to create a recipe around them. This Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail recipe is absolutely delicious and the flavors of the tart yet sweet, red cherries compliment the bourbon very well!
Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail Recipe
Luckily, my grocery store had a gorgeous box of cherries and said I could choose however many I wanted. For this recipe, I wound up using about half a pound of cherries after cutting them up. Plus keeping a few for garnish, of course. You can see just how red these cherries are when I cut them open. Kind of a good inspiration for a manicure too!
If you’ve never experienced bourbon, there is a wide range of qualities out there. You can get a bottle that has been aged anywhere from a couple of months to many years! The rich, charred oak, vanilla, and caramel flavors of most bourbons make it incredibly sought after by connoisseurs and newbies alike. This Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail recipe is a great way to start enjoying bourbon. The rich, luscious, natural color that comes from the cherries you muddle makes this drink as pretty as it is tasty.
Ingredients
- 5-10 cherries, chopped and pitted
- 1-2 tbsp cane sugar
- Splash of sparkling water
- 1.5-2 ounces bourbon
- 1 whole cherry for garnish per drink
Instructions
- Chop a handful of cherries into smaller pieces. Add them to a small jar with the sugar and sparkling water.
- Use the blunt end of a wooden spoon or muddler to muddle the cherries down until you see lots of red juices extracting from them.
- Add those ingredients to a drink shaker along with the bourbon.
- Shake to combine.
- Pour into ice filled glasses. Garnish with a full, fresh cherry.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: To make a large batch of cocktails use a food processor to chop up cherries.

Feel free to add a couple of drops of red food coloring if you’re super concerned with impressing your guests, but there’s truly no need for it! Look how gorgeous this drink turned out, and to be able to garnish with a fresh cherry is so dreamy.
We hope you enjoy this seasonal Cherry Bourbon Smash Cocktail recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Katherine from Lily The Wandering Gypsy, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our Cocktails section. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
Disclosure: Message intended for our readers 21+ only. Please drink responsibly!
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