Adding smoke to cocktails not only enhances the flavour but engages all the senses. Here are five ways to add smoke and flavour to cocktails.
Add Smoke to a Cocktail – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
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Adding smoke to cocktails is not a new cocktail trend but the technique can be used to add layers of flavour to a seasonal cocktail list. There are many ways to add smoke, albeit some without flavour such as the use of dry ice.
Here are five ways to add a smoke and flavour to cocktails.
How to Add Smoke to Cocktails
1. Smoking Gun
We’ve all seen it in cocktail bars. An effective and intense way to add smoke to cocktails is to use a smoking gun such as this one. To use it, place the wood chips or the ingredient that is being smoked in the unit’s burn chamber and direct the hose section to deliver a stream of smoke into the glass.
2. Smoked Herbs
An easier way to add smoke to cocktails at home is to smoke woody herbs under a glass which serves as a cloche. You need a non-flammable surface, woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage, and the cocktail glass. Place the herbs on the plate in a small pile, light them with fire and cover with the cocktail glass allowing it to be filled with smoke. Prepare your cocktail then lift the glass and immediately pour in the drink.
3. Tincture / Aromatic Spray
Another way of imparting smoke to drinks is the use of tinctures and aromatic sprays. A tincture is a concentrated alcohol infusion made by steeping an edible ingredient in high proof alcohol. The use of Lapsang Souchong Tea tincture adds a BBQ/ wood-smoke note to a drink and can either be used from a dropper or sprayed from an atomiser.
4. Smoky Spirits
Smoky spirits such as peated whisky and mezcal are an easy way to add smoke to cocktails. The smoky spirit can be the main ingredient, such as the case in a Smoky Rob Roy or used in small quantities like a float in the Penicillin cocktail.
5. Charred Garnishes or Ingredients
A garnish that’s charred before serving the drink can add a touch of theatrics as well as aroma to a cocktail. Woody herbs such as rosemary, thyme and sage can be lit by fire then extinguished and either added to the drink or as a garnish. Spices can be roasted using a torch and added as garnish. A lit cinnamon quill can be left to smoulder on the rim of a glass such as in the Just Peachy Whisky Cocktail, imparting smoke then dropped into a drink to extinguish the flame as well as doubling up as a stirrer.
Common Ingredients Used to Add Smoke to Cocktails
There are many ingredients that can be used to add layers of smoke to cocktails. Here are a few to try:
- Oak wood (eg cherry wood, apple wood, hickory, maple): enhances charred wood notes in spirits such as whisky and bourbon
- Rosemary: woody, herbaceous note
- Sage: earthy, savoury smoke
- Thyme: woody, herbaceous
- Cinnamon: smoke and sweetness
- Citrus peel: enhances fruity notes in a cocktail
- Mesquite wood: BBQ / bonfire smoke
- Salt: enhances the overall flavour
- Coffee Bean: for a roasted coffee, slightly smoky flavour
- Charred fruit, such as grilled pineapple and citrus can be turned into a smoky syrup
You may also like… Essential Guide to Cocktail Garnishes
