Whiskey cocktails are timeless classics that blend the warm, earthy taste of whiskey with versatile ingredients such as citrus and herbs. The choice between two popular whiskey cocktails, namely the whiskey sour and the whiskey smash, might pose a dilemma. While the ingredients and proportions quite similar, the minor changes made between the two result in distinct beverages.

The shared elements between these drinks include the balance struck between the acidity introduced by the lemon, the sweetness courtesy of the simple syrup, and the burning sensation and texture from the whiskey. It’s fantastic how the essence of these simple ingredients transforms with slight modifications. The central differentiating factor is the lemon’s integration: only its juice is used in the whiskey sour, while the lemon is muddled for the whiskey smash, along with a sprig of fresh mint.

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Generally known as sours, this group of cocktails could be some of the earliest mixes, originating from seafaring days when a mixture of citrus juice, rum, and sugar was utilized as a shield against diseases. The first official recipes surfaced around the mid-1850s and the brew has stayed relatively unchanged since then. Despite the simple nature of the ingredients, crafting the perfect balance of acid and sugar with the type of whiskey chosen requires a certain level of skill.

An essential element of the whiskey sour recipe is derived from the process of shaking the ingredients. The melted ice adds water that slightly waters down the drink, thereby amplifying the flavors. The characteristic shaking also aerates and cools the drink. Some mixologists take an extra step and incorporate an egg white for a foamy finish after shaking that helps to tone down any sharpness from either the whiskey or lemon juice. Modifying the simple syrup to maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar and swapping the lemon juice for other citruses results in a multitude of delightful variations.

The smash is another long-standing drink category, reportedly quite popular in the mid-1800s as well. Mashing the citrus fruit used in the cocktail is a principal feature of the whiskey smash, resulting in the incorporation of all essential citrus oil flavors along with the juices, leading to a richer-tasting beverage. Mint is also a primary flavor element in a whiskey smash, slightly mashed with the other ingredients, and used also as a garnish.

The smash ingredients are shaken over ice and strained, offering a beverage that is more rustic with a bolder flavor than its polished sour counterpart. Mixologists have branched out to other fruits and herbs to produce new taste combinations in this drink category, although some form of citrus is still used to counterbalance sweetness along with fruits that are compatible with whiskey like peach, cherry, seasonal berries, and apple. Thyme and basil might replace the mint in this instance, and sometimes a dash of bitters is added for equilibrium.

It’s appropriate that the pounded version of this whiskey cocktail pair is called a ‘smash’, since the mashing of the fruits and herbs has such a significant impact on the drink’s flavor and texture. The mechanical process of destroying the lemon rind using a

cocktail muddler releases flavorful citrus oil, a little bitterness from the pith, and, of course, the tangy juices.

The muddling process in smash variations integrates the pulp of any popular fruit varieties into the drink, contributing to the mouthfeel as it’s sipped. Both sour and smash drink categories feature these variations, but the introduction of muddled fruit shifts a cocktail from being purely sour to a smash.

One might be curious about drinks that include a combination of muddled ingredients like mint julep, caipirinha, and mojito. The julep differs as it does not contain any fruit, technically excluding it from being a smash – the rest, however, are examples of smashes utilizing different spirits!

All five smashes listed in the 1888 “New and Improved Bartender’s Manual” by Harry Johnson feature mint and seasonal fruit. Therefore, we can conclude that herbs are a hallmark of the smash. The cocktail’s shaking lightly bruises the herb, releasing essential oils into the drink. An additional sprig garnishes the finished beverage, infusing even more aroma.

Understanding that a smash has a strong mint flavor may influence your whiskey choice to a sweeter bourbon, reserving the spicier high-rye whiskies for the sours. Naturally, many tremendous smashes utilize other herbs such as basil and thyme, designed to be in sync with a range of fruits and whiskies. Cocktail bitters are another flavor-rich ingredient included in some smash recipes to enhance the drink’s complexity.

The bitterness acts as a counterbalance, enhancing the overall balance of sweet, sour, and herbal elements in the cocktail. Whether opting for classic aromatic bitters or experimenting with exotic flavors like orange or cherry, each drop introduces a subtle, lingering depth to the whiskey smash. Although neither whiskey sours nor smashes originally included bitters, it’s not uncommon to see a few dashes in either drink these days because they so neatly tie flavors together.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.