Mixed Berry Bourbon Smash with Champagne

Make a delicious fun riff on the whiskey smash cocktail my mixed berry bourbon smash with champagne, blueberries, blackberries! It's perfect for special moments and ready in under five minutes.

September is Bourbon Heritage Month AND American Whiskey Month, which makes my blueberry & blackberry bourbon drink with bubbles right on time. Let's get into it!

The best mixed berry bourbon smash with champagne and fresh mint in a gold rimmed rocks glass on wooden cutting board surrounded by fresh berries.

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What does it taste like?
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Substitutions & Variations
How to Make a Berry Bourbon Smash Cocktail
Frequently Asked Questions
More Cocktail Recipes with Sparkling Wine
📖 Recipe

What does it taste like?

This is an easy bourbon cocktail that's fruity yet strong. You'll taste the vanilla, oaky, and caramel notes of quality bourbon plus slightly citrusy bubbly notes from sparkling wine. Fresh berries add juicy, sweetness and everything is rounded out with lemon and mint.

And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll also love my Raspberry Gin Martini, Bourbon Kentucky Mule and Lavender Mint Julep!

What You'll Need for this Recipe

fresh mint, blueberries, blackberries, lemon, bottles of whiskey, prosecco, and maple syrup on granite countertop.

Blackberries and Blueberries add beautiful deep color and bright fruity flavor to this smash drink and what I love most is the versatility because you can use either or both depending on what you have one hand.

Fresh Mint and Citrus are key to any good smash cocktail so I don't recommend using any dried or concentrated ingredients here.

Maple Syrup is my sweetener of choice here but you can also use your favorite liquid sweetener like simple syrup or honey syrup.

Champagne or sparkling wine of your choosing to add effervescence. Prosecco or Cava will work just fine in place of champagne. And if you don't want to add additional alcohol to this cocktail, feel free to substitute with sparkling water.

Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!

Substitutions & Variations

Berries - You can substitute the blueberries and blackberries with other berries like strawberries or raspberries or a combination of all four to customize this recipe to your taste. Fresh berries are best but frozen will also work in a pinch.

Citrus - I use lemon in this recipe but it's also great with sour orange or lime if you can't get your hands on lemon or just want to try something different.

You can make a smash drink with all different kinds of fruit like my Sparkling Blood Orange Whiskey Smash, which hits every time. And although bourbon is the current topic of discussion, I have to put you onto my Cherry Gin Smash, too--you'll love it!

How to Make a Berry Bourbon Smash Cocktail

fresh berries, mint leaves, lemon wedges, and maple syrup in cocktail mixing glass.

Step One: Add the berries, lemon, mint, and maple syrup to a mixing glass.

muddled berries, mint leaves, lemon wedges, and maple syrup in cocktail mixing glass.

Step Two: Muddle these ingredients to express their oils and juices and combine the flavors.

Pro Tip: If you don't have a muddler on hand, use the blunt end of a kitchen spoon. And a shot glass is a good substitute for a jigger to measure the liquid ingredients.

brown hand removing muddled lemon wedge from mixing glass.

Step Three: Remove the lemon from the mixing glass then pour in bourbon and stir vigorously until combined.

mixed berry bourbon smash mixture in rounded rocks glass.

Step Four: Pour the mixture into a rocks glass.

Pro Tip: Do I need to strain this whiskey smash? Don't strain it. Just remove the lemons and add everything else to the glass. The berries become bourbon-soaked by the end of the drink, which makes for a deliciously potent treasure once you're done sipping!

mixed berry bourbon smash mixture and ice in rounded rocks glass.

Step Five: Add ice to the rocks glass.

mixed berry bourbon smash mixture, ice, and champagne in rounded rocks glass.

Step Six: Top up the glass with chilled champagne.

Mixed berry bourbon smash cocktail with champagne garnished with sprig of mint leaves and fresh berries on pick.

Step Seven: Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and more fresh berries.

Pro Tip: Thread a few berries on a cocktail pick for extra presentation points. If you don't have one on hand, just float the berries on top.

fizzy bourbon and berries smash cocktail in a gold rimmed punchbowl glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a smash cocktail ahead of time?

Yes, you can follow the recipe steps up to adding the ice and champagne. Save those steps until just before serving to the taste and fizziness of the cocktail.

How to batch this cocktail for a crowd?

Build a big batch smash cocktail in your serving vessel. Use 2 ½ cups berries, 4 lemons, 32 mint leaves, ¾ cup maple syrup, and 2 cups of bourbon. Fill halfway with ice then pour in one 750 ml bottle of champagne and stir before serving. Serves up to eight.

More Cocktail Recipes with Sparkling Wine

Now that you have a fizzy fruity smash cocktail recipe in your repertoire, I hope you enjoy it soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this bourbon and berries recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!

📖 Recipe

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