INGREDIENTS

• 1 peach
• 1 tsp 100% pure Canadian maple syrup
• 2 oz Smoked Maple Bourbon Whisky (I used Knob Creek)
• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 2 oz non-alcoholic spicy ginger beer (I used The Great Jamaican) 
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice 
• 1 oz soda water

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by firing up your grill and setting it to high heat. Grilling the peaches not only leaves delicious grill marks and a beautiful char on the fruit, it softens the peaches perfectly so they're able to break down in the cocktail shaker. That said, if you don't have access to a grill, set your oven to broil.

While the grill / oven comes up to temperature, wash and halve a fresh peach, removing the pit. Coat fresh with a thin layer of 100% pure Canadian maple syrup and set aside.

Add peach halves to a clean, hot, freshly oiled (I find Canola Oil works best) grill. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, or until a light char appears on fruit. If you're broiling, broil fruit for 2 minutes or until maple syrup starts to bubble and caramelize.

Remove peach halves from grill (or oven) and turn grill (or oven) off. Set aside to cool while you prepare the cocktail shaker.

Build your Smoked Peach Maple Bourbon Smash in a cocktail shaker by adding 8 ice cubes along with a grilled peach halve, sprig of fresh thyme, bitters and bourbon. Shake vicariously, until cocktail shaker becomes cold and the peach is thoroughly broken down.

Add 4 fresh ice cubes to a cocktail glass. Strain shaker contents overtop. It will take some effort to get most of the peach flesh out of the strainer, so keep shaking until your cocktail glass is more than half full (if your hand gets too cold, wrap a kitchen towel around the shaker!).

Top with spicy ginger beer, fresh lemon juice and soda water. Stir to combine.

Garnish your Smoked Peach Maple Bourbon Smash with a grilled peach segment, a sprig of fresh thyme and / or edible flowers.

Serve immediately and enjoy!