Christmas comes and goes fast.
The house is still full, but it’s calmer now. Wrapping paper’s gone, leftovers are stacked in the fridge, and the schedule finally loosens up. It’s that stretch of days where time slows down again. And nobody’s in a hurry to be anywhere.
This is the drink for that moment. Not a celebration cocktail. Just a solid bourbon drink for the days after.
The After-Christmas Bourbon Smash
Ingredients
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2 oz bourbon
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½ oz fresh lemon juice
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½ oz simple syrup or maple syrup
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2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
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Orange peel
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Fresh rosemary (optional)
How to Make It
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Fill a rocks glass with ice.
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Add bourbon, lemon juice, syrup, and bitters.
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Stir until cold.
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Express an orange peel over the glass and drop it in.
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Garnish with rosemary if you’ve got it.
The flavor stays simple and clean. Bourbon forward, lightly sweet, and just enough citrus and spice to keep it balanced. Easy to make. Easy to sit with.
The Days Between
This is the drink you pour once the work is done and there’s nothing left on the calendar. For evenings when the fire’s still burning, the door’s open, and the best thing on the agenda is another story or a quiet night in.
No rush. No reason to dress it up.
Just good bourbon, a little ice, and the long exhale after Christmas.
Cheers to the slow days.
