Labor Day Weekend calls for a Pineapple Smash

A tropical cocktail with bourbon shining front and center

By Mark Stock Published August 27, 2025 8:45 AM

Basil Hayden Pineapple Smash. — Basil Hayden

Labor Day Weekend is coming right up, the last gasp of summer for a lot of folks. It’s a great weekend for camping, relaxing, or having a refreshing summer cocktail. Fortunately, we just got a recipe in our inbox that caught our attention.

Now is prime cocktail time. As we speak, fans are sipping on Honey Deuce drinks at the U.S. Open and making Aviation Gin cocktails to celebrate Wrexham’s new season in the Championship. Some of us are just looking for the ultimate cool-off in backyards, decks, and hammocks across the land.

Recommended Videos

Well, we have a good three-ingredient cocktail just for that. We suggest really dressing it up, either with the suggested bundle of mint of taking it to another level with some dehydrated citrus or a grilled piece of late-summer fruit. This is a recipe that’s engineered to please.

Read on for the full how-to in making a proper pineapple smash.

Basil Hayden Pineapple Smash

Basil Hayden Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey in bottle with glasses -resized hero — Basil Hayden

There’s reward in this recipe as it allows you to make your own pineapple syrup, the perfect accompaniment to a fine bourbon. You can reduce the sugar level in the syrup if you like something dryer or are just working with extra-ripe pineapple juice. Go the full nine yards and juice your own pineapple.

Ingredients:

2 parts Basil Hayden® Bourbon
1 part fresh lemon juice
1 part pineapple syrup*
Mint leaves (about 8), plus more for garnish

*Pineapple Syrup: Combine equal parts pineapple juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then let cool.

Contributor

Mark Stock is a writer from Portland, Oregon. He fell into wine during the Recession and has been fixated on the stuff since…

Food & Drink

Dip your fries? Here’s how to make the French Fry Frosti from Baileys

A creamy drink with savory fries for the win

Bailey's French Fry Frosti.

Summer is still hitting hard, just look at those temperatures. That means frozen cocktail recipes and impromptu Simply parties are very much in order. Shoot, you might even want to put the sprinkler under the trampoline and bounce around.

Baileys sent us a great way to beat the heat. It's a summer cocktail that's served ice cold and tastes a lot like dessert. Best, it's hit with some French fries for a savory kick.

Food & Drink

How to make the viral Honey Deuce cocktail in time for the U.S. Open

A vodka drink ideal for summer and tennis viewing alike

Honey Deuce cocktail.

Cocktails come in and out of fashion, just as the Cosmopolitan or Blood and Sand. Right now, it's no longer about an intriguing espresso Martini option. It's all about the Honey Deuce, a tennis-inspired drink that comes right as the U.S. Open is about to kick off.

Like so many good drinks, this one is a three-ingredient cocktail. You know, like a Negroni or an Old Fashioned. It doesn't take a lot to get delicious results in the glass.

Food & Drink

How to make a Mai Tai like they do at Three Dots and a Dash

A tiki classic from a top American bar

Three Dots and a Dash.

Maybe it's time for a proper Hawaiian vacation. Maybe you just need a good tiki cocktail recipe to work with. National Mai Tai Day is coming up on August 30th, so to that, we say cheers with a top-shelf recipe.

Three Dots and a Dash set us up with their house version of the popular drink. It's so dialed-in that the spirits are issued right down to the tablespoon. And the garnishes make it look like a holiday in the glass.