Ingredients

  • 2 ozamontillado sherry
  • ¾ ozfresh lemon juice
  • ½ ozsimple syrup
  • 8 wholefresh mint leaves
  • 🍋Fresh mint sprig and lemon wheel(garnish)

🔧 Tools

cocktail shakerjiggermuddlerstrainerrocks glass

Instructions

  1. Add fresh mint leaves, simple syrup, and fresh lemon juice to the bottom of a shaker tin.
  2. Muddle gently to release the mint oils without tearing the leaves.
  3. Add the amontillado sherry and fill with ice.
  4. Shake vigorously for 10 to 12 seconds.
  5. Strain over a generous mound of crushed ice in a rocks glass.
  6. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and a lemon wheel.

📜 History

The Sherry Smash is a contemporary riff on the classic Smash format, a category that dates to the early 19th-century American bar scene and was codified by Jerry Thomas in his foundational 1862 guide as a short, spirit-forward drink with muddled herbs. The modern Sherry Smash replaces the traditional whiskey or brandy base with amontillado sherry, whose hazelnut and dried-apricot character pairs exceptionally well with fresh mint and bright lemon. It became a fixture on Spanish-inspired cocktail menus during the 2010s as bartenders looked for versatile, lower-alcohol alternatives to muddled fruit and herb cocktails.

#sherry#smash#mint#crushed-ice#low-abv#summer