As the long, cold nights begin to liquidate what’s left of my meager garden, I decided to use up some herbs while I could.

- 2 parts bonded/100+ proof bourbon
- 1 part simple syrup
- 3 lemon wedges
- A fistful of mint and basil, in a 2:1 ratio of mint:basil

Add lemon wedges, mint, and basil to shaker, then muddle. Add bourbon and simple syrup. Shake over ice. Strain, serve over ice. Add mint and basil as garnish.

The perfect Whiskey Smash Brother.

The whiskey smash is an ancient cocktail, dating to the pre-Prohibition Golden Age of Cocktails in the late 19th century. The recipe had its renaissance as the celebrated house specialty at the NBC Studios Rainbow Room in Manhattan during Dale DeGroff’s legendary run at that establishment in the 1980’s-1990’s, and it is the DeGroff recipe that has rightfully become the canon version.

That said, the perfect simplicity of the Whiskey Smash invites experimentation (and indeed, it’s possible this drink is itself a mutation from the Whiskey Skin cocktail), and in the North Carolina summer when basil is cheap and plentiful, @foundation_bar makes a wonderfully refreshing Basil Smash featuring ECBP. This recipe is an attempt to harmonize the classic DeGroff recipe with Foundation’s own evolution of that cocktail.

The 2:1 mint to basil ratio isn’t sacred either, I’d say play with that to dial in your own preferred version of this drink. I’ve just happened to have especially vibrant basil this year, and found more than that amount tended to overpower the palate.

I also again used WT101 as my bourbon, and again cannot recommend it enough when paired with citrus.

Image courtesy of Jon who also writes on Low Class & High Proof.

Low Class & High Proof

I learned how to make cocktails watching Danger 5