It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy. I love golf. I love hanging out with my boys. And I love good bourbon. So when I got the chance to head up to Boston to peg it at Jim Beam Black’s “All Tee’d Up” golf event with one of my close buddies at BroBible, I jumped on that chance.
A few days ago, team BroBible loaded into a car and drove from New Jersey to Boston to hit the links with about 30 other golf and bourbon-loving dudes.
The day was filled with great beverages, lots of laughs, terrific views, and some very average golf. That’s not to say everyone at the event played average — I’m sure some dudes challenged the course record (at least in their own minds) — but our group just felt the need to three putt a lot of greens. We’re silly like that.Our pedestrian golf skills aside, the day was perfect. I mean, how can you even allow yourself to have a bad day on a course with these views? You can’t.
After the round concluded, we all hopped into a shuttle bus and we headed to Jim Beam Black’s “19th Hole” after party. There we chowed down, watched playoff baseball, and we sampled some signature cocktails made with Jim Beam Black.
We also did a side-by-side taste test of Jim Beam Black and Jim Beam Double Oak, a bourbon twice barreled for richer flavor and a distinctive spiced oakiness.
Hard to pick which one we liked better. But I think Black may have edged out Double Oak for me.
As our perfect day and night wound down, I couldn’t help but go back to one specific drink. It made one of those lasting impressions. It was so good that, dare I say, it is my new favorite bourbon cocktail.
Now, generally speaking, when I drink bourbon I like to have it neat, as an Old Fashioned, or with one gigantic ice ball. That’s right, no whiskey stones for this guy. Whiskey stones are trash. I said it, and I stand by it.
For the longest time, I have been searching for a bourbon drink that A) has bourbon in it and B) has a more refreshing twist to it. Something I can drink in any climate. This weekend, the good people of Jim Beam Black opened my eyes to the drink I have been longing for…. The SMASH!
As you will see in the recipe below, the Smash is not only delicious and refreshing, but it is simple to make. Perfect for guys who, like me, were also born without a shred of patience.
Jim Beam Black® Smash Recipe
2 parts Jim Beam Black® Bourbon
2-3 lemon wedges
6-8 fresh mint leaves
1 part simple syrup
Splash of club soda (optional)
Drop the lemon wedges in a Double Old Fashioned glass and muddle to extract the juice. Add the mint leaves and simple syrup and muddle again. Fill glass with ice and pour in the Jim Beam Black, stir to combine. Splash with club soda if desired and garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
Give it a try. You won’t regret it.
