Making a gorgeous and tasty cocktail full of layered flavors doesn’t get easier than this blood orange bourbon smash. The only hard part might be getting your hands on the blood oranges! But they are in season now, so get to your market and pick up a few.
It’s probably no secret that I like using bourbon in recipes. I add it to my Apple Pie. I splash it into my Banana Bread. And of course, I use it in my cocktails, like my Peach and Bourbon Frozen Cocktail and my Hot Apple Pie Bourbon Cocktail. So, while I was thinking about what my next cocktail should be, my mind naturally went to bourbon, which then led to the realization that I had yet to develop a bourbon smash recipe. There will be more, don’t worry about that, but for my first one I decided blood oranges were the way to go.
First, they are in season right now. Second, they are so pretty! Third, I always walk by the blood oranges thinking what do I do with these, and now I have something to do with them. It’s one of my goals in life to have an awesome recipe for every single type of produce I see at the store. Not that I only want one, more recipes are better, but at least one, so blood oranges are now marked off my to-do list.
My daughter wouldn’t even try a slice of blood orange when I was cutting them up. Maybe it’s the name? 🙂 But don’t let that stop you. They unsurprisingly taste a lot like the oranges you’re used to. Maybe they are a little sweeter, maybe a little more bitter, but with your eyes closed they are recognizably oranges. Though why would you want to close your eyes? Then you can’t see the gorgeous color! And it’s that gorgeous color which makes this drink so much fun.
While the blood oranges and the bourbon are the stars of the show here, the supporting players are important too, to round out the flavors. I knew the drink needed a little sweetness, and for orange juice and bourbon the best sweetener to my mind is maple syrup. Maple syrup is a beautiful sweetener with any sort of fruit, and it brings in so many of the same flavors you get in bourbon – caramel, vanilla, a subtle smokiness, that I knew it would be perfect. Then the drink needed some zest, and mint was there to provide. A few leaves muddled into the shaker is all you need. Next up is a zing from a sharper citrus, which is where the lime comes in. Now it was almost perfect! It just needed a little something more! That something is bitters. Only a few drops, but they make a difference. And now you have the perfect blood orange bourbon smash. 🙂
– Happy Drinking, Annemarie
- 4 mint leaves
- 3 oz bourbon
- 3 oz blood orange juice, 2-3 blood oranges
- 1 oz maple syrup
- 8 drops Angostura bitters
- crushed ice
- 2 lime wedges
- 4 oz soda water, optional
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle mint leaves. Then add some ice cubes, bourbon, blood orange juice, maple syrup, and bitters. Shake well.
- Fill two glasses half way with crushed ice. Divide the bourbon mixture between them. Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Top with soda water if desired.
Erin @ Thanks for Cookin'! says
These are so beautiful! And I keep seeing cocktail recipes using maple syrup as sweetener but haven’t tested it for myself yet. This one might have to be my first!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thank you! I love the color of the blood oranges. I’m trying to move away from refined sugars so I’ve been using more maple syrup. It really goes beautifully with the bourbon too.
Jillian @ Food, Folks and Fun says
Yum, I love blood orange this time of year!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks! Me too. 🙂
nicole says
Obsessed with these colors! I love the mint and orange — how fresh!! The maple syrup must give a taste like nothing else can! Thanks for sharing 🙂
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks. 🙂 We really love the combination and I think you can never go wrong with maple syrup. It’s my favorite. 🙂
Laura | Wandercooks says
Oh my god my mouth was watering from your photos alone but then I read your amazing flavour profile of this drink and.. just.. wow. Cannot WAIT to try! It sounds like the perfect blend of caramel smokiness and citrus splash, with bitey mint and bitters to round it all off. Yum!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thank you! We really loved the balance of flavors here. I just picked up some more blood oranges because my husband wants to have it again. 🙂
Sandra - The Foodie Affair says
Gorgeous cocktail! I’ll be picking up some blood oranges so I can give this a try this weekend!
justalittlebitofbacon says
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 🙂
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I don’t drink but this looks amazing! Love your photos!
justalittlebitofbacon says
Thanks! Taking pictures of blood oranges is quite fun since they are so pretty.
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
I love blood orange cocktails+ I usually male them with gin though I’ve never paired them with Bourbon. Great suggestion.
justalittlebitofbacon says
I’ve tried to get into gin, but I haven’t been able to yet. However, I love bourbon so that is where my mind went for this drink.
pam says
My store hasn’t had any blood oranges this year, I am so bummed. I would love it if you would share this with Tipsy Tuesday at Grey is the New Black.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Oh, I’m so sorry about your lack of blood oranges! I wish I could share some of mine with you. 🙂 And I’ll see if I can check it out.