Happy Friday! After a wonderful trip to Disney World, I’m just getting back into the kitchen! This week, I’m excited to share a recipe from the trip. Straight from EPCOT, this GEO-82 Peach Shrub Whisky Smash is a refreshing combination of a Japanese Highball and a Whisky Smash. Made with Japanese whisky, sherry, peach and mint shrub, and club soda, this light and delicious drink will transport you right to Spaceship Earth!
On this trip, I was travelling with my dad and we had the chance to visit some new restaurants and lounges, including EPCOT’s newest adult-only lounge GEO-82! Located in Spaceship Earth, this lounge takes inspiration from Spaceship Earth’s iconic geometric tiles and serves delicious cocktails, mocktails, and small plates.
We loved the atmosphere of the lounge as it was bright and welcoming. Some of the walls have the same pattern as the outside of Spaceship Earth! We had a wonderful afternoon break enjoying their cooling towels, stellar views of the park, and delicious drinks!
One of the drinks we tried was the popular Peach Shrub Whisky Smash. It’s made with Toki Suntory Japanese Whisky, a peach and mint shrub, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, and bubbles. I don’t drink a lot of whisky, but I really liked how light and refreshing this drink was! The bubbles lightened the whisky and the addition of the peach and mint shrub added a nice fruity flavor. I also loved that it was served with a shortbread cookie!
To make this drink at home, you’ll need some specific ingredients. To start, you’ll need Toki Suntory Whisky, which is a Japanese Whisky. This whisky is great for mixed drinks. So much so that Suntory uses it in their highball machines (one of which is located at GEO-82). While GEO-82 uses the highball machine to combine the whisky and the club soda, you can get a similar result at home by using a high quality club soda (definitely recommend Fever Tree). Also make sure all of your components are very chilled!
For the rest of the drink, you’ll need Lustau Amontillado Sherry and a peach and mint shrub. Some places do sell pre-made shrubs, but it’s easy to make your own. For this one, you’ll need peaches, mint leaves, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. I’ve included a recipe below!
Once you have all of your ingredients, make sure they’ll all nice and chilled before you make the drinks. When you’re ready, combine the whisky, sherry, and shrub in a cocktail shaker and shake to combine. Divide the liquid between two medium sized glasses and then top with the club soda. Give the drinks a stir and then add a mint spring as a garnish!
Now, if you want the full experience, you can serve the drinks with a White Chocolate Peach Shortbread Cookie! Recipe is below!
Enjoy this GEO-82 Peach Shrub Whisky Smash and if you get a chance to visit GEO-82, I definitely recommend it!
Geo-82 Peach Shrub Whisky Smash
Ingredients
Peach Shrub Whisky Smash
- 2 oz Toki Suntory Whisky, chilled
- ½ oz Lustau Amontillado Sherry, chilled
- 1 oz Peach and Mint Shrub, chilled (recipe below)
- 6 oz Fever Tree Club Soda, chilled
- ice
- mint leaves, to garnish
- cocktail shaker
- bar spoon
Instructions
Peach Shrub Whisky Smash
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Place ice into a cocktail shaker. Add the whisky, sherry, and shrub. Shake to combine.
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Divide the mixture between two medium glasses with ice.
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Pour about 3 oz of club soda into each of the glasses. Stir to combine. Garnish with a couple mint leaves.
Peach Mint Shrub
Ingredients
Peach Mint Shrub
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup peaches, cubed
- 3-4 mint leaves
Instructions
Peach Mint Shrub
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In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vinegar, and peaches.
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Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat.
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Add the mint leaves and let rest until the mixture has cooled (about 1 hour).
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Strain the mixture into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Extra shrub can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a month.
White Chocolate Peach Shortbread
Ingredients
White Chocolate Peach Shortbread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz peach jam
- 2 oz white chocolate chips
- round cookie cutter
Instructions
White Chocolate Peach Shortbread
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In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
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Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined.
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Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll it out to about ¼ inch thickness.
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Place the dough in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
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Remove dough from the refrigerator and place on a flat surface. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies.
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Transfer cut out cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
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While the cookies are chilling, preheat the oven to 350 F.
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Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
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Let cool on the pan for a couple minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Once the cookies are cool, melt the white chocolate chips. Spread a layer of white chocolate onto each cookie. Add a small spoonful of peach jam on top of the white chocolate.