Paul Kushner
Smoking cocktails provide a dramatic aesthetic and highlight layers of savory flavors.
Serve these drinks to make a statement at your next party, or curate an exciting evening at home with these unique cocktails.
Aside from cocktails featuring smoky-tasting spirits, one of the best ways to infuse this flavor into your drinks is to use specialized equipment.
So anticipate needing a smoking gun to create most of these intriguing recipes but not all.
Smoked Old Fashioned
This recipe gives the classic cocktail a smoky twist. A Smoked Old Fashioned goes through the smoking process three times, the final of which adds smoke to the glass creating a flashy display.
Smoky flavors contrast the other notes in the cocktail, balancing out the sweet, spicy, and bitter tastes.
The Smoked Cherry
Despite the name of this cocktail, it doesn’t contain any cherries. The flavor of the fruit comes from cherry-flavored bitters that contrast sweet elements in the drink, like honey brandy and complexly sweet sage simple syrup.
Smoke and citrus add even more depth to the sweet and savory notes. Cherry wood should be used for the smoking process to add more cherry notes.
Butter & Smoke
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Another combination of bitters and bourbon, this cocktail has fresh and rich flavors. Smoking isn’t the only technique used in the recipe.
The bourbon also goes through an infusion process with flavorful pumpkin butter. Incorporate smoke into your cocktail by lighting a thyme sprig and trapping smoke in the glass.
Smoking Blackberry Sage Margarita
Try this complexly fruity cocktail to add the smoking effect without the smoky flavor. Fresh blackberries and sage add rich sweet, and herbal notes to the base of this drink.
The smoky look of this margarita comes from dry ice, which creates impressive wisps of smoke. Just remember to wait until the ice has completely dissolved before drinking!
Dragon’s Breath Cocktail
Follow this recipe to make one of the most visually appealing smoking cocktails. Dragon’s Breath combines bourbon and Cointreau with a pleasantly complex herbal liqueur.
Pour the cocktail into a smoke-filled brandy snifter and serve as the smoke billows up dramatically. This drink makes a strong first impression in terms of flavor and impact!
Smoked Rosemary Blackberry Whiskey Sour
This spin on a Whiskey Sour uses fresh ingredients to enhance the flavors of the traditional cocktail. Blackberries add fruity sweetness and give the drink its dark color.
The smoking aspect of this drink is the rosemary garnish placed in the center of the glass and torched!
The simple recipe and smoking process makes this an excellent option for making large batches.
Double Smoked Maple Old Fashioned
Another take on the traditional Old Fashioned, this recipe calls for real maple syrup to create the best combination of flavors.
A double-smoking process adds robust, savory notes to the otherwise sweet cocktail.
First, you’ll smoke bourbon into a decanter. Before serving, you’ll add another layer of smoke for flavor and a smoky look.
Smoke and Spice Old Fashioned
Follow this cocktail recipe for a savory and spicy take on this sweet classic. The smoky element comes from a brunt cinnamon stick garnish, as does the first layer of spice.
More heat comes from chili bitters and the high-proof bourbon called for in this drink. Overall, this brings excellent balance with a punch of heat.
Smoking Gun Vesper
If you’re interested in smoking cocktails but don’t want to mess around with fire, try this classic cocktail with a unique garnish.
This drink is boozy, incorporating dry gin and sweet vermouth. The main component, which adds the smoky element, is oak-smoked vodka.
Garnish this drink with a small piece of smoked pork and citrus peel.
Smoked Whiskey Cocktail
The Smoked Whiskey Cocktail varies depending on the type of spirit you use in the cocktail.
Try spicy rye or sweeter bourbon to change the character of the cocktail. The drink is balanced with spices, bitters, and maple syrup.
In addition to a layer of smoke added to the top of the drink, this cocktail calls for liquid smoke, creating an intense smokiness.
Smoked Manhattan Cocktail
The majority of this cocktail recipe follows the same steps as a classic Manhattan. It calls for bourbon and sweet vermouth, contrasted by bitters.
The smoking element comes in when preparing the garnishes. Smoke citrus peel and your choice of herbs, along with some smoking pellets, infusing robust flavors.
Smoke on the Water
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This recipe has a mix of fruity and savory flavors! Watermelon juice and hibiscus simple syrup bring contrasting notes to the smoky mezcal.
Cointreau and lime juice add a refreshing burst of citrus. Finally, the smoke on the water is created by adding a flaming rosemary sprig to the top of the cocktail.
Cheers!
From drinks featuring triple-smoked ingredients to simpler recipes that only char garnishes, these smoking cocktails impress!
These options offer something for everyone, whether you prefer sweet or savory cocktails.
Did we miss one of your favorite smoking cocktails? Let us know any great drinks in this category that we missed in the comments below!
12 Smoking Cocktail Recipes
Ingredients
- Smoked Old Fashioned
- The Smoked Cherry
- Butter & Smoke
- Smoking Blackberry Sage Margarita
- Dragon’s Breath Cocktail
- Smoked Rosemary and Blackberry Whiskey Sour
- Double Smoked Maple Old Fashioned
- Smoke and Spice Old Fashioned
- Smoking Gun Vesper
- Smoked Whiskey Cocktail
- Smoked Manhattan Cocktail
- Smoke on the Water
Instructions
- Pick your favorite recipe
- Gather all the needed ingredients
- Prep a summer cocktail in less than 5 minutes
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