5 Smash Drinks You Need to Make this Summer! 

Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s time to bring on the summer drinks. Oh yeah! And what drinks say summer better than smash drinks?

Smash drinks are a family of drinks but unlike other cocktail families, the exact definition of the Smash is a little, well, muddled. However, the main features of a Smash drink are a base spirit, muddled fresh fruit or herbs (but not always!), and a sweetener, shaken (but not always!) and served over crushed ice.

We’ve put together a list five incredible Smash drinks made with Vodka, including several made with our beloved Absolut Flavored Vodka products, guaranteed to be a hit all summer long.

1. Vodka Basil Smash


“The Vodka Basil Smash is super simple to make and kind of a twist on the Whiskey Smash, where they’ve literally replaced the Whiskey for Vodka and replaced Mint for Basil,” explains Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador.

The Basil Smash was originally made with Gin but somewhere along the way, Vodka was used instead of Gin and, well, the Vodka Basil Smash was born. And we gotta say, we’re glad about that!

Grab your muddler, and let’s get smashing! Not sure what a muddler is? Check out our article on the essential home bartending tools.

Here’s how to make a Vodka Basil Smith.

2. Watermelon Smash


Regardless of what the weather is doing, it’s always summer-time when you’re sipping a Watermelon Smash.

Muddle Fresh Watermelon with Simple Syrup in a cocktail shaker before adding Fresh Lemon Juice and Absolut Watermelon (Watermelon-Flavored Vodka). Garnish with a Watermelon Wedge and serve this to your friends and you’ll rightfully have earned yourself the title of king or queen of summer.

Get the recipe for the Watermelon Smash.

3. Caipiroska

An extremely popular cocktail in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, the Caipiroska is a delicious summer sipper and similar to the Caipirinha but made with Vodka instead of Cachaça.

To make the Caipiroska, cut a Lime into four quarters, place them into a Rocks Glass, then grab your muddler and get smashing. Next add Simple Syrup, followed by Absolut Vodka and lastly top with Shaved Ice.

The next best thing to a summer in South America is sipping a Caipiroska wherever you are. Discover our Caipiroska recipe.

4. The Mandrin Crush

Here’s an example of a Smash drink where you don’t actually muddle any of the ingredients. Instead, to make the Mandrin Crush, throw everything into a Cocktail Shaker and smash everything about. Fun to make, delicious to drink!

It mixes Absolut Mandrin (Mandarin-Flavored Vodka), Fresh Lemon Juice, Passion Fruit Syrup, Simple Syrup
 and Ice. And how does it taste? “You’ve got the tropical vibes coming from the Passion Fruit, you got those sweet Orange vibes coming from the Absolut Mandrin, all balanced off with some Fresh Lemon Juice,” shares Rico.

Discover the recipe for the Mandrin Crush.

5. Raspiroska


When you’ve got friends coming over to enjoy the sun, the last thing you want to do is be stuck inside mixing drinks. The Raspiroska is a built drink (meaning it’s built directly in the glass), which is super simple to make and guaranteed to please.

It mixes Fresh Muddled Raspberries, Absolut Raspberri (Raspberry-Flavored Vodka), Simple Syrup, and Crushed Ice. Trust us, this a drink that’ll turn any day into a summer’s day. Get the recipe for a Raspiroska.