Smoked Cocktails Are Child's Play With These Expert Tricks

If flipping cocktail shakers and slinging bottles isn't the kind of showmanship you're up for at home, here's a mixology trick everyone can get behind: smoked cocktails.

“Enthusiasts are always looking for a new experience or angle on their favorite drinks, and smoke can add a layer of savory depth that brings something new to the table,” says Lee Noble, who developed the recipes for Backcountry Cocktails and The Cocktail Workshop .

Now, we can't say this suits every cocktail. You won't find us trying to smoke the best vodka for martinis , but there are a few easy ways to level up the smoke in spirits that naturally have that element.

“I’ve heard smoking cocktails started in New York City in the late 2000s, but you could say peaty Scotch in whiskey cocktails and mezcal cocktails were truly the first time that smoke was used in drink,” Noble says.

How to Add Smoke to a Cocktail

“There are three ways I generally add smoke to cocktails,” says pitmaster Christie Vanover of Girls Can Grill . “The first is smoked ice, then smoked simple syrup, and lastly smoking the glass I’m pouring the cocktail into.” In each case, the aim is to add a complementary twist to the drink. “Smoking different ingredients can add unique results, but the goal is adding savory depth and nuance that gives drinkers a new perspective on flavor,” Noble says.

How to Smoke Simple Sugar

At either a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of sugar to water, simple syrup is a basic cocktail-making ingredient that’s a breeze to pull off at home. The smoked cocktail version takes a little bit longer, but isn’t difficult, and the result is a golden, sweet, woodsy syrup that can last in the refrigerator for up to a month. Use it to punch up a regular cocktail without altering the color too much. Vanover fills a 13x9-inch dish with 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water, then sets it in a pellet smoker at about 180 degrees.

You could generate smoke with wood chunks on a charcoal-burning kettle grill, but managing the temperature requires more finessing. A foil packet filled with wood chips, smoldering on a propane burner, could also work but the smoke flavor will be lighter. Smoke the syrup for about two hours, opening the lid every so often to stir the mixture around so the sugar dissolves. This yields about 3 cups of syrup so you likely have enough to set aside some for an experiment.

Take the smoked simple syrup and infuse it with jalapeños, citrus, or herbs (like mint or basil) by letting the liquid linger in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

A bit of syrup adds a smoky kick to a basic margarita.

How to Make Smoked Ice

Making smoked ice is another way to add a subtle savory flavor to cocktails. Just like the simple syrup, it starts with a 13x9-inch pan, filled with water. Smoke the pan at 200 degrees for about three hours, tasting it with a spoon every so often so you know when you’re happy with the flavor. Once the pan cools, pour the water into an ice mold.

Adding smoke to a classic old fashioned is as easy as dropping in a cube, though you could double up with a squeeze of smoke simple syrup, too.

How to Use a Cocktail Smoker

The last way to add smoke to a cocktail usually requires especially equipment: a smoking gun or cocktail smoker. This is the most dramatic smoking method, and one you’re likely to see a mixologist execute with a lot of flair at a bar.

1. Fill the smoking gun with fine wood chips.
2. Light it ablaze.
3. Trap the smoke coming from the tube by sticking it between the bar top and the open mouth of the glass, which you’ve flipped upside down.
4. Pull the tube out and trap that smoke in the glass while you mix the cocktail, then invert the glass with a dramatic effect while the smoke clings and gives the beverage a flavorful boost.

This specialty tool isn’t the only way to add a punch of smoky flavor. “I like grilling pineapple or peaches, then using the flesh of the fruit for juices as an easy technique,” Noble says. “You can also simply use a lighter to singe a sprig of rosemary or stick of cinnamon used as a garnish that adds a nice aroma to the approach and an atmospheric touch.”

Smoked Mojito Cocktail Recipe

Add an unexpected kick to a refreshing mojito by using simple syrup you’ve smoked, then infused with mint, says pitmaster Christie Vanover . Reinforce that woodsy flavor by using smoked ice to make a smoked cocktail to remember.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp smoked mint simple syrup
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• ¼ cup rum
• Ice
• 2 tbsp club soda
• Mint sprig, for garnish
• Lime wedge, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make a batch of smoked simple syrup and steep in a jar with mint leaves.
2. Combine the simple syrup, lime 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 lime wedge.

Best Gear for Smoking Cocktails

Breville Smoking Gun

The fine wood chips the Breville Smoking Gun smokes are enough to add a hit of woodsy flavor to cocktail glasses, but this gun isn’t a one-trick pony. As long as you can trap the smoke under a lid—or, more commonly, by using plastic wrap for a tight seal—you can add light smoke flavor to things like meat, veggies, cheese, and sauces. The nearly 18-inch-long hose ensures the unit can stand upright while perfuming. And you’re not restricted to just wood: You can burn tea, herbs, and spices in the chamber as well.

OXO Ice Mold

While making clear ice might take a little more effort and equipment than you want to buy, making big ice is easy and worthwhile. Larger cubes have less surface area compared to several smaller ones from your freezer, so they melt more slowly. The six, 1¾-inch square cubes OXO Good Grips Silicone Stackable Ice Cube Tray yields are large enough to hold and display frozen add-ins like mint or jalapeño slices. Unlike lesser ice trays with flimsy bottoms, a stiff plastic base here makes transporting to the freezer cleaner and easier.