A cocktail smoker adds the smell of smoldering wood to a drink in under a minute. It looks impressive, but the method is simple, and the most common mistake is using too much. Here is how to do it, how long to smoke a drink, which wood to use, and how to stay safe with a torch.
The short answer
Make the drink, put a small pinch of wood chips in the smoker, light them with the torch until they smolder, then trap the smoke over the glass for about 10 to 30 seconds and lift. Start short. You can always smoke it again, but you cannot take smoke out.
What a cocktail smoker actually does
Smoke mostly adds aroma. You smell it every time you lift the glass, and that changes how the drink tastes, the same way a squeeze of orange peel does. A light smoke rounds out a whiskey drink. Too much makes it taste like an ashtray.
The four types
- Lid or chimney smokers sit on top of the glass and hold the chips in a small chamber with a mesh screen. You light them with a butane torch. Most home kits are this type.
- Smoking guns are handheld. A small fan pushes smoke through a hose into a glass, a dome or a bag. They suit batches and food as well as drinks.
- Electric smokers look like lid smokers but light the chips with a heating element instead of a flame, so there is no torch and no butane.
- Domes, or cloches, are glass covers you fill with smoke from a gun or a torch. They are mostly for presentation.
How to smoke a cocktail, step by step
These steps are for a lid smoker with a torch, the most common kit. Electric smokers follow the same idea; you press a button instead of using the torch.
- Make the drink first. Build it in the glass you will serve it in, over a big cube if it is a drink served on the rocks. Smoke fades fast, so it goes on last.
- Add a small pinch of chips to the chamber. A pinch is plenty for one drink. Too many chips burn hot and make the smoke bitter.
- Set the smoker on the glass. Some people smoke the empty glass upside down on the smoker and pour the drink in afterwards. Both work. Smoking the finished drink gives a stronger result.
- Light the chips. Point the torch flame at the chips for a few seconds, just until they smolder and smoke starts to rise. Do not keep blasting them. Flames give a burnt taste.
- Wait 10 to 30 seconds while the smoke fills the glass.
- Lift and serve right away. The aroma is strongest in the first minute.
How long to smoke a cocktail
About 10 seconds gives a light hint of smoke. Around 30 seconds gives a clear smoky aroma. Much longer than that, and most drinks start to taste ashy. Wood type matters as much as time, so change one thing at a time until you find what you like.
Which wood chips to use
- Cherry: mild and slightly sweet. The safest place to start, and a classic with an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan.
- Apple: mild and fruity. Good with bourbon, cider and mocktails.
- Oak: the barrel note whiskey already has. Medium strength.
- Pecan and maple: nutty and sweet, medium strength.
- Hickory: strong. Use a smaller pinch.
- Mesquite: very strong. Easy to overdo in a drink.
Only use chips sold for smoking food or drinks. Never use treated, painted or varnished wood, or resinous wood like pine.
Which drinks work
Spirit-forward drinks take smoke best: an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, a Negroni, a Boulevardier, or whiskey on a single big cube. It also works without alcohol. Try cold brew, iced tea, lemonade, apple cider or a zero-proof Old Fashioned. Light, delicate drinks can be overpowered, so smoke those briefly.
Safety
- Use the torch on a stable surface that can take heat, pointed away from people, with sleeves and hair out of the way.
- The smoker top and screen get hot. Let them cool before you touch or clean them.
- Never leave smoldering chips unattended. Make sure they are out before you put the smoker away.
- Smoke can set off smoke alarms. Work in a ventilated room.
- Refill butane only when the torch is off and cool, away from any flame. Butane is restricted in shipping, so most kits arrive with an empty torch and you buy the gas locally.
- Keep the torch and the butane away from children.
Cleaning
Once it is cold, tip the ash out of the chamber and brush the screen clean. Wipe wooden parts with a dry cloth rather than soaking them. Replace the screen when it clogs. Follow any cleaning instructions that come with your kit.
Common questions
Can you smoke a drink without a torch?
Yes, with an electric smoker or a smoking gun. A long lighter can work on some lid smokers, but a torch is steadier and lights the chips faster.
Can you smoke a drink with ice in it?
Yes. A single big cube is best, because it melts slowly while you build and smoke the drink. See how to make clear ice at home.
How many drinks does one pinch of chips do?
Usually one, sometimes two if you work quickly. Fresh chips give cleaner smoke.
Is a cocktail smoker a good gift?
It is one of the most popular. Searches for cocktail smokers jump every December.
