Five Smoked Cocktails Worth Trying Once

It’s a mixologist’s job to stay on top of current trends in the industry. Lately, smoked cocktails have emerged as a popular novel choice among party-goers and casual drinkers. If you’re not familiar with this kind of adult beverage, they can be a lovely departure from the standards. They’re aromatic cocktails that offer a scorched spice or herb quality that is accomplished through a smoking gun, plank, or smoking chambers. You can also use a torch to smoke the herb or spice you like to add a complementary flavor to some cocktails. Here are five smoked cocktails that are worth trying at least once.

5. Smoke Break Cocktail

Liquor.com recommends trying the Smoke Break Cocktail for a proper introduction to a fine-quality smoked beverage. The recipe is the creation of a Los Angeles bartender named Jake Larowe. It’s a bourbon-based cocktail that takes it up a notch with sweet vermouth and cream sherry to add a flavorful yet balanced body with botanical notes that rise and fall and a decent split between the acidity and creaminess. It’s essential to use a smoking gun to create the flavor of cherrywood chips in a container that condenses the smoke in one area to infuse it into the wood chips. To make this cocktail combine one part bourbon with 1/2 part cream sherry and 1/2 part sweet vermouth. Choose two types of bitters you prefer and cherrywood chips. Smoke the chips with the smoking gun to allow the smoke produced to permeate the mixture of the liquids. Place a large ice cube in the bottom of a rocks glass and pour the cocktail over the top. You may add your favorite garnish.

4. Bourbon Toscano

The Bourbon Toscano is a smoked version of the Old Fashioned, using straight Bourbon, rosemary spice bitters, and Aperol. Make this cocktail with smokey goodness by using your smoking gun to flavor the water you use to make ice with smoked cherrywood chips. It’s a simple process of smoking the chips in a container that infuses the smoke into the water to absorb the flavor. Make ice. You can add them to any cocktail to give it a smokey flavor. Here is how to make the Bourbon Toscano cocktail.

Recipe:

• 2.5 oz Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• 1/2 ounce Aperol
• 2 dashes of rosemary cocktail spice bitters
• Smoked ice cubers
• Dry rosemary sprig and dehydrated orange wheel for garnish
• Make the Bourbon Toscano Cocktail

Add the bourbon, Aperol, and rosemary bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until it is well mixed and thoroughly chilled. Place smoked ice cubes in an Old Fashioned cocktail glass. Pour the ingredients in the shaker (strain from the ice), over the smoked ice cubes in the glass. Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and a rosemary sprig and serve.

3. Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail

Insanely Good Recipes recommends trying the Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail to enjoy a new twist on an old favorite. The Cherry Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail that has been around forever. You can add a new element of adventure to the beverage with a few cherries and a little smoke. To make the Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned, you’ll need fresh cherries, sugar cubes, water, Anastoga Bitters, and Campfire Whiskey. There’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re trying this for the first time, but afterward, you’ll be a pro. Using a wood smoker, smoke one pound of fresh cherries using Alderwood chips. Smoke the cherries for 40 to 60 minutes until they appear dark and the texture is soft. Carefully remove the cherries from the smoker. Put 1/2 pound of the cherries in a small saucepan, adding 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup sugar to make a smoked cherry simple syrup. Heat over a low heat setting until hot and the sugar is dissolved. Cool and place in an airtight container. Let the cherries sit overnight to fully disperse the smoky flavor. The next day, discard the cherries from the syrup and strain the syrup. Note: you only use half the smoked cherries for the simple syrup. The rest are reserved for making the cocktails. Seal them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for later use.

Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned Cocktail

Place three of the smoked cherries in the bottom of a cocktail glass. Add ice, one teaspoon of the smoked simple cherry syrup you made earlier, 2 ounces of whiskey, and a splash of Anastoga bitters. You may garnish this lovely smokey cocktail with a smoked cherry and an orange peel

2. Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon cocktail

The Bloody Mary is one of the most compatible cocktails for smoked flavoring. If you want to make the most spectacular version ever, serve it as a smoked drink and you’ll surprise your guests with the richness of the flavor. There are a few steps involved with making smoked blood mary cocktails, but we assure you it’s well worth the effort. To make four cocktails you will need 6 Roma tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of veggie seasoning, 1 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper, and 4 pieces of thick-cut bacon. You will also need vodka for the cocktails and ice for the glasses.

Smoke the tomatoes and the bacon

Smoking tomatoes is easy if you own a smoker such as a Traeger or another brand. Wash the tomatoes, take off the stems, and cut them in quarters. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them. you can also add your favorite veggie spice. Place the seasoned tomatoes on a baking sheet or wire rack. Set them in the smoker at 250 degrees, set to smoke. Cook the tomatoes for approximately an hour or until thoroughly roasted. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature, then remove the skin. At the same time you’re roasting the tomatoes, add several slices of bacon to the rack. They will smoke and cook at about the same rate as the tomatoes, within 40 to 60 minutes. The bacon should be crisp, so it is rigid in the glass when used as a garnish.

Make the homemade Bloody Mary

Add the cooled roasted tomatoes with the skins removed to a blender with the other ingredients you prefer in your bloody mary cocktail. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth. You may add hot sauce, horseradish, celery flakes, and whatever else you prefer to your Bloody Mary. You may add lemon juice to the mixture to give it a little more zest. Typical garnishes for the Smoked Bloody Mary with Smoked Bacon include lemon wedges, celery, pickled asparagus, and a slice of smoked bacon upright.

1. The Smokey Big Apple

Inside Hook recommends this smoked drink because of its robustness and full-bodied flavor. The SMokey Big Apple cocktail does not require a smoking gun. It calls for 2 ounces of Rye Whiskey, 1/2 ounce of Apple Cider Syrup, a dash of Old Forester Smoked Cinnamon Bitters, and a burnt Smoking Stick.

To Make the Smokey Big Apple:

Combine the bitters, apple cider syrup, and rye whiskey in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled. Strain the mixture over a large ice cube. Heat a cinnamon stick with a lighter until it begins to smoke. Put the smokey cinnamon stick on the top of the ice. Make sure all embers are extinguished and enjoy. The Smokey Big Apple is one of the simplest of all smoked cocktails that you at least have to try once.