S<\/span>moke isn\u2019t just for barbecue. All over the country, bars are employing smoke to add depth, complexity, and extra flavor to cocktails. But you don\u2019t have to be an expert to enjoy this smoky trend. With some basic equipment and a few tips, you can begin smoking cocktails<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n To get started, we enlisted a couple of\u00a0pros. First up: Gregory Westcott, Bar Manager at Hinoki & The Bird,<\/a>\u00a0the celebrated Los Angeles restaurant. And then there\u2019s Eva Kovacikova, Head Bartender at Zuma<\/a>, a modern Japanese restaurant inside the Cosmopolitan. Both spots are taking a culinary approach to cocktails, and using smoke to give their drinks an extra dose of aromatics and flavor.<\/p>\n Below, our bartenders<\/a> weigh in on the merits of smoking cocktails, and offer up some handy DIY advice for trying it yourself.<\/p>\n \u201cSmoking a cocktail provides an opportunity to add another layer of complexity to the drink,\u201d says Westcott. \u201cI try to tell stories with the cocktails I make. The smoke in a cocktail can be used to trigger an experience like memories of a cookout or a campfire.\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the additional flavors and aromas that smoke imparts into a drink, Kovacikova is also looking to create visual effects for her patrons. After all, we drink with our eyes first.<\/p>\n The Looking Glass cocktail at Hinoki and the Bird<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There are several ways to add smoke to your drinks, some more elaborate than others. Kovacikova says that your first option is definitely a smoke gun. This handy tool safely burns wood chips, and infuses those smoky notes right into drinks via a flexible hose. If you don\u2019t have a smoke gun, no worries\u2014you can use a br\u00fbl\u00e9e torch, or even just a lighter, to smoke wood chips and herbs. Do this on a surface that won\u2019t burn, and overturn your glass over the smoke to envelop it with flavor before pouring in your cocktail.<\/p>\n She notes that another easy option is to smoke your garnish. Set your garnish aflame\u2014herbs and pine work nicely\u2014and blow it out before serving.<\/p>\n Westcott adds: \u201cI\u2019ve used a smoke gun, have torched herbs, and even set a huge piece of wood on fire and doused it with a punch in an enclosed container. My goal is to find the most convenient and organic way. With the Looking Glass [pictured above], I wanted to smoke the cocktail in front of the drinker, so I used a dehydrated apple as a lid to contain the smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n The equipment you\u2019ll need depends on the cocktail you\u2019re making. Westcott mentions that a smoke gun is a great tool, but it takes more time, which can be an issue if you\u2019re tasked with making drinks in a hurry. \u201cThe idea is to get creative, so use the tools that you have. Wood (or herbs), fire, and a glass is all you need.\u201d<\/p>\n Kovacikova adds that, for home use, vapor machines, smoke guns, and dry ice all do the trick. Dry ice doesn\u2019t add flavor to a drink, but it\u2019s quite a sight. And given its ability to smoke and bubble for extended periods of time, the effect lasts. Just\u2026 be careful. That stuff burns if not handled properly.<\/p>\n The Burning History cocktail at Zuma<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When making drinks<\/a>, you can smoke almost anything that burns, but certain ingredients will provide the best flavors and aromas.\u00a0Westcott has\u00a0employed hickory, white oak, apple wood, hinoki wood, rosemary, sage, and more, and notes that hard herbs work much better than soft (think rosemary instead of basil).<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t limit your options. Smoke whatever you think can help you make your best cocktail,\u201d he says. But don\u2019t just smoke something for the sake of smoking it\u2014then you\u2019re getting into gimmick territory. \u201cMake sure it\u2019s adding to the flavor of the cocktail. If you want to make a peach drink, grill the peaches. Grilled peaches are amazing with bourbon and smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n Kovacikova likes using wood chips mixed with wet hookah tobacco. The latter comes in different flavors like cherry and pineapple, which adds additional aromas to the wood.<\/p>\n If done right, you can add smoke to almost any style of cocktail. But both Westcott and\u00a0Kovacikova like using spirits that already have an element of smoke\u2014for example:\u00a0peaty scotch<\/a>, mezcal<\/a>, and American whiskeys like bourbon<\/a> and rye<\/a>.<\/p>\n Says Westcott: \u201cThinking outside of the box is how great cocktails are discovered. The best part of the process is getting friends together and experimenting with different methods.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to take your smoked drink to the next level, you can increase the smoke factor by pairing cocktails with cigars. There are no set rules for pairings, but some basic guidelines apply, similar to pairing drinks with food. For starters, cocktails and cigars should complement rather than over power one another, so lighter drinks benefit from lighter cigars, while heavier drinks can stand up to fuller-bodied cigars. Beyond profile, you can also think geographically. For example, try matching a Cuban rum with a Cuban cigar. Or pull from less obvious locations (this new world cigar collection<\/a> has sticks from places like Nicaragua and Honduras), and make smoked cocktails featuring spirits from the same destinations.<\/p>\n It all comes down to what you like, but the world of smoked cocktails leaves lots of room for interpretation and customization, so get out there and explore.<\/p>\nWhy Smoke a Cocktail?<\/h2>\n
![\"Looking](\"https:\/\/bevvy.co\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/The-Looking-Glass.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHow to Make Smoked Cocktails<\/h2>\n
Cocktail Smoking Equipment<\/h2>\n
![\"Burning](\"https:\/\/bevvy.co\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Burning-History.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCocktail Smoking Ingredients<\/h2>\n
Matching Spirits With Smoke<\/h2>\n
Pairing Cocktails with Cigars<\/h2>\n
![\"All](\"https:\/\/bevvy.co\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/how-to-smoke-cocktails-400x600.png\")
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