A bourbon cocktail served over crushed ice in a short glass, garnished with fresh mint sprigs against a dark background.

TJ Smash

average rating is 3.5 out of 5, based on 2 votes, Ratings

Made this one? Leave a rating below.

Bourbon, fresh lime, and mint with a heavy dose of Angostura bitters — spiced, cooling, and more complex than it looks.

This cocktail is part of our Date Nite collection, made to be sipped while you cook together.

COCKTAIL RECIPE

Makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
8 to 12 dashes Angostura bitters
12 mint leaves
Mint sprig, for garnish

Add the bourbon, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters, and mint leaves to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig.

NOTES FROM THE BAR

Heads up: We may earn a small commission on products we’ve linked here. We only recommend the real-deal favorites from our kitchen.

Bourbon Base

Choose a bourbon with good body but not too much oak. Something approachable and smooth works best.

Bitters Note

Don’t hold back on the Angostura. The heavier dose gives the drink its signature spiced complexity.

Mint Tip

Clap the mint between your palms before adding as garnish to release its oils and aroma.

Variations

Try swapping lime for lemon for a brighter citrus note, or add a splash of soda water for a lighter, longer drink.

JUST RELEASED

30 OF OUR MOST-LOVED COCKTAILS, GATHERED INTO ONE COLLECTION

A COCKTAIL COLLECTION

30 COCKTAILS WORTH MAKING AGAIN

The cocktails we come back to most, gathered into one beautiful PDF, with six new recipes created exclusively for the collection.

80 pages · 24 favorites · 6 exclusive recipes · 13 house-made components

GET THE COLLECTION - $8.99

Instant download

A RITUAL WE RETURN TO

Our cocktails are part of something bigger for us. They’re the beginning of Date Nite, a connection-centered experience we created to help you slow down, share a meal, and enjoy time with the one you love.

Each Date Nite is thoughtfully planned for you, so you are not stuck deciding what to cook or how to pull the night together. We pair one cocktail with a complete menu, a simple flow from prep to plate, and small details that make the evening feel easy and connected from start to finish.

It is not about perfection. It is about presence, and creating space to reconnect, whether that is with your partner or simply with yourself, over a really good meal.

Learn More About Date Nite →

WE CREATED THIS FOR YOU AND THE ONE YOU LOVE

Kevin & Kate

Our Story, If You’d Like To Know Us →

Back to all Cocktails

STORIES WORTH SAVORING

Our latest blog posts for inspiration, reflections, and recipes.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Couples: Why We Buy One Christmas Gift Together

Over the years, the gifts we’ve loved most have been the ones that became part of our everyday life together. Some were practical upgrades we probably would have put off buying, while others simply gave us another way to enjoy being at home together. Below are a few of the gifts we’ve actually given each other, followed by a handful of Christmas gift ideas for couples that we think would be fun to go in on together.

Williamsburg-inspired Thanksgiving table with gold-rimmed china, green goblets, brass candlesticks, fresh greenery, and colorful seasonal fruit.

How I Created a Williamsburg-Inspired Thanksgiving Table

Using fresh greenery, seasonal fruit, brass candlesticks, and pieces collected throughout my mom’s life, I created a Williamsburg-inspired Thanksgiving table that feels like a collaboration between us.

Apple Cider French 75 cocktail served in an elegant glass with sparkling bubbles and a seasonal garnish, an easy Thanksgiving cocktail.

8 Thanksgiving Cocktails, From the First Pour to After Dinner

Eight Thanksgiving cocktails to carry you from the first pour to after dinner, with apple, cranberry, pear, pumpkin and plenty of bourbon along the way.

View through the hallway into the bedroom of our 900-square-foot apartment, with hats and bags displayed on the wall and sunlight filtering through the curtains.

What 900 Square Feet Taught Me About Small Space Living

I used to think bigger meant better. Then I traded a historic five bedroom house for 900 square feet with my husband and found more peace than I ever expected.

Pumpkin spice carajillo in a rocks glass with an expressed orange peel and star anise garnish, dark background.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Spice Cocktails This Fall

We make a lot of fall syrups around here, but pumpkin spice is the one that keeps finding its way into everything. It started as one batch meant for a single cocktail, and by the end of the week we had used it in a bourbon sour, an espresso martini, and three drinks in between. The syrup comes together on the stovetop in about ten minutes, and once it is strained and chilled it works across almost any spirit in the cabinet. We linked every full recipe so you can go straight w

Kevin and Kate smiling close together, foreheads touching, in a warm candid moment.

Why We Created Date Night at Home

Every Wednesday we set the table, light the candles, and cook something delicious together. This is the story of how that ritual became Date Nite, and what a fully planned date night at home actually includes.