Peach Mint Old Fashioned

On this edition of “summer, please don’t go,” we’re talking about peaches (again). And bourbon. Because as much as I love pumpkin, well, everything, I’m just not ready for it to invade my life quite yet. Of course, this is influenced by the fact that one of the hottest weekends of summer just happened. It just doesn’t feel or look like fall outside, so I think I’ll hold on to summer just a little bit longer. Also, there’s this drink, which is a good enough reason for me to enjoy summer while I still can.

Eric is our cocktail maker, so this recipe is all him. I will occasionally have an idea for a drink, usually one inspired by a fancy cocktail I had at a restaurant, but Eric is the real brains behind our drink recipes. It all started with a bottle of bourbon I bought for this bourbon chocolate bundt cake (which I made for the first Big Summer Potluck we attended). What was leftover after I made the cake became the first Old Fashioned I ever drank.

Now, I know some people think muddling fruit into an Old Fashioned is some type of sacrilege. I don’t really care because this drink is awesome, so call it a whiskey cocktail if it makes you feel better. This drink takes advantage of fresh summer peaches and the mint we’ve got growing on our back deck. The mint and peach pair so wonderfully with the bourbon, with neither overpowering it. It’s easy to make and even easier to drink. If that’s not the description of a perfect summer cocktail, I don’t know what is.

This recipe is easily increased to make more than one. Also, we prefer ours without the club soda, but we’ve included it in the recipe since many people prefer it with.