A cocktail smoker is a tool for smoking meat without the use of charcoal or wood. These devices are usually made from metal and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and functions.
The best cocktail smoking kit is a list of the 9 best cocktail smokers for entertaining.
CNN —
If you like expensive restaurant drinks that come out in a cloud of cool smoke, now is the time to start your new at-home pastime. Cocktail smoking at home is now simpler than ever, thanks to the widespread availability of one-stop devices in a variety of pricing ranges. If you’re not acquainted with the idea of smoking cocktails but love barbecuing and learning about home mixology, sit back and relax because this is going to be a lot of fun.
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Sother Teague, beverage director of New York City’s Amor y Amargo, says, “It’s a method that adds smokey tastes to drinks by exposing either the entire cocktail, some of its components, or just the serving glass to cold smoke.” “Imagine how your clothing would smell if you stood close to the grill during a barbeque. It wasn’t heated by the grill, but it absorbed the smoke’s smells, and fragrance accounts for 90% of flavor.”
Erin Hayes, partner and vice president of trade advocacy at Westward Whiskey Distillery, is a lover of cold smoking because it “adds layers of taste, fragrance, and texture to drinks.”
Eric Medsker is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. is a writer who lives in Los Angeles.
Sother Teague savoring a cigarette
Cold smoking a component or a complete cocktail at home is safe and simple, and Teague says that it can be done with little cost or equipment, most often using items you already have on hand — but it does need some creativity. You’ll also need a decent lighter, a cookie sheet, a mixing bowl (“preferably glass, so you can see the action”), and some wood chips (which may be readily obtained if you don’t have any on hand).
iStock/Lucas Ranzuglia
Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare anything you wish to smoke before you start (a chilled glass, an entire prepped cocktail, a garnish, etc.).
- On a baking sheet, spread wood chip shavings.
- Chips of light wood. (You may want to invest in a decent lighter or butane torch if you’re going to use this basic at-home technique, according to Hayes.)
- Place the object to be smoked quickly but carefully close to the burning wood chips.
- Over the top of the chips and the drink or object to be smoked, place a glass mixing bowl upside down.
- Lift bowl, make sure wood chips are extinguished, and serve drink immediately after one to two minutes of watching smoke pervade the beverage.
In place of wood chip shavings, Hayes suggests lighting a stick of cinnamon or a sprig of rosemary (or anything with a woody basis, really) — both of which are likely to be on hand and which smoke quickly and give a pleasant fragrance to whatever you’re smoking.
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Cocktail Smoking Kit by TheCraftyCocktailDome
If the preceding procedure seems a bit too do-it-yourself, upgrading to an at-home device is a simple and inexpensive next step. There are basic “smoking guns” that cost about the same as a pair of smoked cocktails at a nice bar, and there are also more sophisticated alternatives.
Cocktail smokers vary in price from $25 to $200, but “functionally they’re all the same: a chamber similar to a tobacco pipe where the wood shavings are stored, a fan that pushes air through the chamber, and a tiny, flexible tube where the smoke emerges from,” according to Teague. Some smoking guns come with a glass dome, often known as a cloche, that connects to the smoke tube through a spigot; although this feature isn’t required, it does provide a nice stage for cocktail smoking drama.
“Think about what your use will be,” Hayes advises when deciding how much you want to spend. “Will you be utilizing this simply for yourself or for entertaining big groups?” Is this something you’d want to do on a regular basis or only on exceptional occasions? It might be worthwhile to invest in one of the higher-end devices if this is going to be a frequently used appliance.”
“The more you pay, the more durable they are,” Teague says of many items. If you like the smokey taste of a drink, keep in mind that your gadget may also be used to flavor food. “Cold smoking spinach for a salad is a good idea, but keep in mind that cold smoking does not cook the food; it just infuses flavor.”
Cocktail smoking at home requires care — children and dogs should not be present while you’re using a smoking pistol — but once you’ve mastered it, you may try more complex combinations.
Melón
Eric Medsker
Sother Teague savoring a cigarette
Teague is using cold smoke to enhance the taste of the Melón cocktail he’s working on for a forthcoming event. “We begin by chopping cantaloupe into 1 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch pieces and cold smoke it with applewood,” he explains. “After that, we juice the fruit and mix it with maple syrup. It truly sings with the addition of a smoked pepper liqueur and thick aejo tequila – imagine morning melon with crispy bacon.”
Ingredients:
- 1/4 ounce syrup made from smoked cantaloupe
- a half ounce of ancho reyes
- 1 1/4 pound Tequila Ocho Aejo
- spice from Tajikistan
- a piece of cantaloupe
- To cool, aerate, and dilute the liquids, shake them vigorously with lots of ice. Strain twice into a rocks glass filled with ice. Serve with a melon piece dipped in Tajn as a garnish.
Boulevardier with Cinnamon Smoke
CNN/Scott Simone
Boulevardier with Cinnamon Smoke
Hayes is a big fan of a smokey cinnamon twist on a whiskey classic, the boulevardier. “The cinnamon smoke adds such a wonderful layer of fragrance and taste to the dish,” she says.
CNN/Scott Simone
Cinnamon Smoked Boulevardier’s Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. single malt American whiskey from Westward
- Campari, 1 oz
- 1 ounce Torino Cocchi Vermouth
- 1 twist of orange
- In a mixing glass with ice, combine the first three components. To cool and dilute, stir for 20 seconds. Strain into a double Old-Fashioned glass filled with ice. Fill the chamber of the smoking pistol with cinnamon stick bits. In a bell jar, combine the cocktail and the smoking gun tube. Allow the smoke from the cinnamon to fill the bell jar. Allow for a 10-second rest period. Remove the bell jar and squeeze the orange twist over the boulevardier.
Kitchen Blow Lighter with Butane Torch ($14.79; amazon.com)
Amazon
Kitchen Blow Lighter with Butane Torch
While you’re at it, use it to make crème brûlée and other sweets.
While you’re at it, use it to make crème brûlée and other sweets.
Cloche de cloche de cloche de cloche de cloche de cloche de cloche de cloche de clo ($27.36; amazon.com; originally $39.99)
Amazon
Stonebriar 9-Inch Clear Glass Dome Cloche
This might make a wonderful first cloche for a beginner smoker, as well as a lovely display for plants or items.
This might make a wonderful first cloche for a beginner smoker, as well as a lovely display for plants or items.
Wood Smoke Infuser Homia Smoking Gun ($67.11; amazon.com; originally $75.11)
Amazon
Homia Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser
This easy kit comes with everything you need to start smoking your drinks and even your meals, including a smoking pistol, different wood chips, a hose, and more.
This easy kit comes with everything you need to start smoking your drinks and even your meals, including a smoking pistol, different wood chips, a hose, and more.
($24.95; amazon.com) Mazonia Infusion Smoker Gun on Wheels
Amazon
Mazonia Portable Infusion Smoker Gun
A really cheap alternative, but keep in mind that you’ll need to buy a glass dome, as well as wood chips and a lighting source, separately.
A really cheap alternative, but keep in mind that you’ll need to buy a glass dome, as well as wood chips and a lighting source, separately.
Cocktail Smoker by Gramercy Kitchen Company ($59.97; amazon.com)
Amazon
Cocktail Smoker by Gramercy Kitchen Company
Another mid-priced choice, this one is also very portable and comes with wood chips, a convenient cleaning brush, and a black velvet storage bag to store all of your smoking equipment in one place.
Another mid-priced choice, this one is also very portable and comes with wood chips, a convenient cleaning brush, and a black velvet storage bag to store all of your smoking equipment in one place.
Wood Smoker by Vandue Corporation ($59.91, originally $130; wayfair.com)
Wayfair
Wood Smoker by Vandue Corporation
This one, too, is battery-operated and comes with a removable glass dome to cover the object being smoked.
This one, too, is battery-operated and comes with a removable glass dome to cover the object being smoked.
The Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser by Breville ($99.99; bestbuy.com)
Bed, Bath, and Beyond is a retailer that sells a variety of
The Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser by Breville
“The most well-known brand and my personal preference for long-term use,” Teague adds, “but there are several on the market to consider.” Hayes has a Breville at home as well.
“The most well-known brand and my personal preference for long-term use,” Teague adds, “but there are several on the market to consider.” Hayes has a Breville at home as well.
Cocktail Smoking Kit by TheCraftyCocktailDome ($109.99; etsy.com) is a cocktail smoking kit designed by TheCraftyCocktail.
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TheCraftyCocktail Dome Cocktail Smoking Kit
This is the perfect present for a cocktail connoisseur looking for a new toy: An wood platform, a glass dome, the blowtorch, one pack of smoking chips, and a cocktail glass are included.
This is the perfect present for a cocktail connoisseur looking for a new toy: An wood platform, a glass dome, the blowtorch, one pack of smoking chips, and a cocktail glass are included.
Smoking Cloche for the Gourmet ($200; uncommongoods.com)
Unusual Goods
Smoking Cloche for the Gourmet
Gourmet, to be sure. This one is more expensive, but it makes a statement. It includes a walnut platform, a smoking pistol, and a glass cloche that may be used as a stand-alone kitchen piece.
The glass top cocktail smoker is a great way to entertain. It’s easy to use, and the smoke from the wood chips will fill your home with a nice aroma.
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