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4 Ways to Add Smoke to A Cocktail

I don’t care what time of year it is, as long as the drink is well diluted and cold I want smoky cocktails.

For those of you who aren’t expert bartenders, having a balanced, smoky drink may seem like magic at a bar — but there are actually so many ways that you can incorporate smoke at home that are super easy!

Let’s dive in to four ways that you can add some smokiness to your cocktails.

1. Using a Smoky Spirit

This is probably the most intuitive way to add smoke to a cocktail. There are two main types of spirits that have a smoky notes to them: peated scotches and mezcals. While Islay has made peated scotches popular again, these days you can find them being made in the Highlands, Speyside and Campbeltown too. With mezcals, there are many different varieties and species of agave used that will offer smoky flavor profiles ranging from crisp and green to earthy and meaty.

2. Making a Smoky Syrup

One trick of the trade that has been utilized in a number of bars that I formerly worked at was incorporating tea-syrups into cocktails. This is a great way to create a unique flavour profile. In particular, there is a type of black tea from China known as lapsang souchong which is intensely smoky because the tea leaves will be smoke-dried over pinewood fires. You can order this type of tea on many websites online.

3. Using a Smoky Bitters

While Peychauds and Angostura are arguably the two most used types of bitters in cocktail recipes, companies have come up with many different bitters options. In British Columbia where I am based, we have a number of Bitters companies that offer smoky bitters. If you’re interested in finding out more, check out my three recommendations here.

4. Smoking the Glass / Cocktail

Now you may have seen this in restaurants and it certainly is both experiential and adds a brand new dimension to cocktails. But guys, you can easily replicate this experience at home for your significant other or friends. Smoking a cocktail can be quite easy, all you need is a Culinary Butane Torch (you know like one of those ones to caramelize sugar on a creme brulee). I ordered mine on Amazon for $24. You need butane to fill said torch. And you need wood!

Recently, I came across this awesome Canadian-based company called Spirits With Smoke and they have developed these beautiful at-home kits. They just sent me one recently, and I wanted to show you guys what’s in it because it is AWESOME! And of course make a delicious cocktail for you.

The Cocktail Smoking Kit makes it easy to create high-end restaurant quality cocktails in the comfort of your own home! What’s more, all of their kits include five different aromatic wood disks: Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Oak, and Walnut. In addition, there is maple syrup, ice molds, a muddler, bar spoon, and recipe cards.