Smoke

[FrogPrincesse]

I thought it'd be fun to have a topic devoted to smoke in cocktails. 

 

Smoke can be introduced into cocktails via different means. Through ingredients is the obvious way, for example with the use of a smoky mezcal or peaty scotch (Laphroaig etc). Or indirectly with a smoked food item such as the bacon that is used to "fat-wash" whiskey in the Benton's Old Fashioned.

 

Other cocktails involve setting herbs (rosemary works well for that purpose) or spices (cinnamon for example) on fire and capturing the aromatic smoke.

 

Lastly, wood chips can also be used to impart a smoky flavor to a drink.

 

Here is an example of that technique. Loves Rival (Tim Robinson via Gaz Regan) with Michter's US-1 single barrel straight rye whiskey, Martini Gran Lusso, Boy Drinks World grapefruit bitters, cherry & yuzu smoke (substituted for applewood & lemon rind). 

 

 

I don't own a smoking gun so I just set the wood chips on fire, grated the yuzu on top and captured the resulting smoke in my cocktail shaker before I shook the drink. 

Edited February 21, 2016 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Tri2Cook]

I like the idea of this topic but I don't think I'll ever get the smoke thing with scotch. I've tried but I just don't get it. I'm not sure how they manage to infuse the essence of hospital emergency room into the booze but it doesn't remind me of anything I associate with the word smoke... unless maybe a hospital was on fire.

[tanstaafl2]

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 7:41 PM, Tri2Cook said:

I like the idea of this topic but I don't think I'll ever get the smoke thing with scotch. I've tried but I just don't get it. I'm not sure how they manage to infuse the essence of hospital emergency room into the booze but it doesn't remind me of anything I associate with the word smoke... unless maybe a hospital was on fire.

 

Could be a quick squeeze of the hospital floor mop infused with a band aid and a splash of iodine! I tend to find a lot of peat to be as much ashy as it is smoky in most cases. There are exceptions of course.

 

Smoke is more a mezcal thing for me until it gets overdone and turns into burnt plastic. Can't say I care for very much of that!

[FrogPrincesse]

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 4:41 PM, Tri2Cook said:

I'm not sure how they manage to infuse the essence of hospital emergency room into the booze but it doesn't remind me of anything I associate with the word smoke... unless maybe a hospital was on fire.

 

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 2:40 PM, tanstaafl2 said:

Could be a quick squeeze of the hospital floor mop infused with a band aid and a splash of iodine! I tend to find a lot of peat to be as much ashy as it is smoky in most cases. There are exceptions of course.

 

That's appetizing. Are you trying to make me not like peaty scotch? I'm already hooked so it's not going to work.

 

Back to the topic. I just thought of another source of smoke - tea, more specifically Lapsang souchong. I am really interested in that idea because I don't use tea enough in cocktails (I use it in punches but rarely in cocktails).

Does anybody have experience with that? I know Death & Co has at least one recipe in that vein.

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

1 hour ago, FrogPrincesse said:

Does anybody have experience with that? I know Death & Co has at least one recipe in that vein

I've made Jacob Grier's Smokejumper a couple times. Gin, lemon juice, yellow chartreuse and lapsang souchong syrup. I like it.

[FrogPrincesse]

@Tri2Cook That looks very nice. Thanks for the recommendation!

[tanstaafl2]

There used to be Qi liqueur which I think was made with lapsang souchong but I think it has gone the way of the dodo. I have a single 375ml bottle left and it makes a nice addition to a Manhattan. Kindred has at least one recipe which mentions it called Poppies in October. Sounds interesting and perhaps you could recreate it using some other lapsang souchong syrup or infusion source.  

[Tzatziki]

My favorite, from Hiding in Plain Sight in Amsterdam. I was never sure of their exact measures, but I'm a fan of:

 

~1.5oz Ron Zacapa 23yr

~.5oz Kilchoman whiskey

~.5oz Pineau des Charentes (fortified sweet wine)

~barspoon Grand Marnier

 

Stir. Invert a brandy snifter over burning rosemary until it fills with smoke. Use a coaster to trap the smoke while you turn it right side up again. Strain into snifter.

[FrogPrincesse]

That looks nice. The technique with rosemary smoke is similar to Jamie Boudreau's Rubicon Cocktail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by FrogPrincesse
Updated video link (log)