Smoked Cocktails Are a Breeze With These Expert Tips

If twirling cocktail shakers and tossing bottles isn't something you want to show off at home, here's a mixology trick anyone can do: smoked cocktails.

“Enthusiasts are always looking for a new experience or perspective on their favorite beverages, and smoke can add a delicious layer of depth that brings something new to the table,” says Lee Noble, who developed the recipes. Country Cocktails And Cocktail Workshop.

Now, we can't say that this is ok. Each You won’t find us trying to recommend the best vodka for martinis, but there are a few easy ways to amp up the smokiness in drinks that naturally have this element.

“I’ve heard of smoked cocktails starting in New York in the late 2000s, but we would say peated Scotch in whiskey cocktails and mezcal cocktails was the first real example of smoke being used in the drink,” Noble says.

How to Add Smoke to a Cocktail

“There are generally three ways to add smoke to cocktails,” says Christie Vanover, executive chef at Girls Can Grill. “The first is smoked ice, then smoked simple syrup, and finally, smoking the glass that I pour the cocktail into.” In either case, the goal is to add a complementary touch to the drink. “Smoking different ingredients can have unique results, but the goal is to add a salty depth and nuance that gives drinkers a new perspective on flavor,” Noble says.

How to Drink Simple Sugar

When the ratio of sugar to water is 1:1 or 2:1, simple syrup is a cocktail staple that can be easily made at home. The smoked version takes a bit longer, but it’s not difficult, and the result is a golden, sweet, woodsy syrup that can last up to a month in the refrigerator. Use it to enhance a regular cocktail without changing the color too much. Vanover fills a 13×9-inch dish with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water, then places it in a pellet smoker at about 180 degrees.

You can create smoke with wood chips in a charcoal-burning pot grate, but managing the temperature requires more finesse. A foil packet filled with wood chips smoldering in a propane burner will also work, but the smoke flavor will be milder. Smoke the syrup for about two hours, occasionally opening the lid and stirring the mixture so the sugar dissolves. This will yield about 3 cups of syrup, so you probably have enough syrup set aside for an experiment.

Take the smoky syrup and add jalapeño, citrus, or herbs (like mint or basil) and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

A little syrup adds a smoky flavor to a simple margarita.

How to Make Smoky Ice

Making smoky ice is another way to add a slightly salty flavor to cocktails. Like simple syrup, start with a 13×9-inch pan filled with water. Smoke the pan at 400 degrees for about three hours, tasting it with a spoon every so often to see if you’re happy with the flavor. Once the pan has cooled, pour the juice into an ice cube tray.

Adding smoke to a classic old-fashioned vodka is as easy as dropping in a cube, but you can also spray on some smoke syrup if you prefer.

How to Use a Cocktail Smoker

The final way to add smoke to a cocktail usually requires some specific equipment: a smoking gun or cocktail smoker. This is the most dramatic smoking method, and the one you’re likely to see a mixologist perform with great skill at a bar.

1. Fill the tobacco gun with thin wood chips.
2. Burn it to ashes.
3. Trap the smoke coming out of the pipe by trapping it between the open mouth of the upside-down glass and the bar counter.
4. Remove the tube while stirring the cocktail and trap the smoke inside the glass, then turn the glass upside down, allowing the smoke to stick to the inside of the glass and give the drink a delicious flavor.

This particular tool isn’t the only way to add a smoky flavor. “I like to grill pineapple or peaches, then use the flesh of the fruit as a juicer for an easy technique,” ​​Noble says. “You can also use a lighter to light a sprig of rosemary or a cinnamon stick as a garnish, adding a nice aroma and atmospheric touch to the approach.”

Smoked Mojito Cocktail Recipe

Pitmaster Christie Vanover says you can add an unexpected flavor to a refreshing mojito by using simple syrup that has been smoked and then flavored with mint. Amplify that woodsy flavor by using smoked ice to create an unforgettable smoked cocktail.

Contents

• 2 tablespoons smoked mint syrup
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ cup rum
• Ice
• 2 tablespoons of soda
• Mint sprig to decorate
• Lemon slice to garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare some smoked syrup, add mint leaves and brew it in a jar.
2. Combine simple syrup, lemon juice, rum, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Fill a glass with ice. Strain the mojito from the shaker into the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon slice.

The Best Equipment for Drinking Cocktails

Breville Smoking Gun

The fine wood chips smoked by the Breville Smoking Gun are enough to add a woody flavor to cocktail glasses, but this gun isn’t just a one-trick pony. As long as you can trap the smoke under a lid (or, more commonly, using plastic wrap to create a tight seal), you can add subtle smoke flavor to things like meats, vegetables, cheeses, and sauces. The nearly 18-inch-long hose allows the unit to stand upright while it releases fragrance. And you’re not limited to just wood: You can also burn tea, herbs, and spices in the chamber.

OXO Ice Cube Tray

While making clear ice may require a bit more effort and equipment than you’d like to purchase, making great ice is easy and worth the money. Larger cubes have less surface area than a few smaller cubes in your freezer, so they melt more slowly. The six 1¾-inch square cubes in the OXO Good Grips Silicone Stackable Ice Cube Tray are large enough to hold and display frozen additions like mint or jalapeño slices. Unlike smaller ice cube trays with flimsy bases, the hard plastic base here makes it easier and cleaner to transport to the freezer.