strawberry smash with amaretto and rum

This strawberry smash cocktail is an icy cold drink brimming with notes of fresh strawberries, almond and vanilla.

You’ll probably be surprised by this recipe, which is predominately amaretto liqueur. At first glance, it will seem like way too much amaretto for a drink. But trust me here. This smash cocktail is deliciously balanced, refreshing and smooth. The amaretto adds a mellow sweetness and rich almond fragrance, but it’s not cloyingly sweet or perfumy like you might fear. Lemon juice works wonders with balancing out the cocktail and the splash of premium aged rum lends fantastic depth of flavor. Vanilla, baking spice, coffee bean, burnt sugar-- these aromatics come from a great rum, so don’t go reaching for Bacardi here.

This strawberry smash cocktail can be adapted to other berries or ripe fruit you have on hand. Just use 2- 3 tablespoons in place of the strawberries. A peach amaretto smash with fresh basil would be killer.

what is a smash cocktail?

The smash cocktail is a very broad and flexible category of drinks. The main requirements are crushed or shaved ice, smashed fruit or herbs, sweetener and a spirit base. Smashes are a wonderful family of drinks when you have fresh fruit or herbs you want to showcase. They’re simple, refreshing and full of flavor! 

In this strawberry smash, we use fresh strawberries, simple syrup, amaretto and aged rum. We brighten the flavors and balance the cocktail with a splash of fresh squeezed lemon juice. 

what’s the best rum for this strawberry smash?

We love to use a high quality aged rum for this strawberry smash. The recipe calls for only a ½ oz of dark rum, so it’s important to use something really flavorful and aromatic. Premium rums are aged for several years in charred oak barrels. This gives them complex aromas, a deep amber color and a buttery smooth texture. Toffee, vanilla, burnt sugar, tobacco, and baking spices are common flavors you can expect from a great aged rum. We really love Diplomático aged rums!

how to make crushed ice for this strawberry smash:

Good ice is a key component to good cocktail, and smash cocktails are no exception! The problem, though, is most of us don’t have professional ice crushers in our cupboard. Here are two simple ways to get crushed ice for a perfectly icy strawberry smash. Just remember: the smaller the ice, the more quickly it will melt and the more dilute your drink will become.

1. Re-sealable zipper storage bags: Put a few handfuls of ice cubes in a re-sealable zipper storage bag. Keep the bag open and slide it into another bag, with the open end butting into the seam of the second bag. This way air can escape, but the ice won’t. Place the bags on a hard surface and use a rolling pin to whack away at the ice. Crush the ice to your desired consistency, then store it in the freezer until you’re ready.
2. Blender: Put a few handfuls of ice cubes in a blender (a Vitamix is ideal). Pulse the blender until the ice is chopped up to your desired consistency. This method will crush the ice more finely than the rolling pin method.

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