This is more of a Friday afternoon type post than a Monday one, but I've got parties on the mind! Niko's first birthday is coming up on the 18th of September and we're going to have a little get-together outside on our new deck. How better to celebrate than with a cocktail? Kidding! But not really! There will be cake and balloons and all sorts of fun kid stuff, but among all those other things I thought I'd whip up a delicious cocktail for the grownups, something smacking of the coming fall, but still refreshing. What to mix, what to mix...? My search brought me to this delightful recipe from Dale Degroff (via kitchn), from what I read of the comments, the sum in greater than it's parts:

Whiskey Peach Smash
makes one drink

1/2 peach, cut into thick slices
3 or 4 fresh mint leaves
1 lemon wedge
1 ounce water
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces whiskey (Degroff suggests Canadian whiskey, but bourbon also works well)
1 sprig mint
1 thin peach slice for garnish

Muddle all ingredients except whiskey in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and whiskey. Shake and strain into an ice-filled old fashioned glass and garnish with a peach slice and a sprig of mint.