Smoke Whisky Cocktails At Home With 5 Easy Tips For A Pro Flavour Finish
Smoked cocktails are a trending blend in contemporary mixology. This has as much to do with the flavours imbued into these blends as it has with the absolute theatricality of the cocktails. The drama involved in uncovering a drink hidden under a cloche in a cloud of smoke brings a lot of intrigue into the overall cocktail experience.
And while crafting such cocktails at home might appear to be a tricky task, it is actually quite smoother than it sounds. All you would need is a close understanding of base spirits and the complementary flavours that go with aromatised smoke to lend your drinks a quality, professional touch.
Read on below to know more about some of the ways in which smoked cocktails can be crafted right at your home bar to lend these drinks a bar quality, pro flavour finish:
Choosing The Right Whisky
One of the more interesting tips involved in making smoked cocktails is choosing the whisky best suited to such blends. Starting with a smoky base ensures that this depth permeates throughout the cocktail, without the base spirit appearing out of place. Go for a peated Scotch whisky which complements similar robust, smoky flavours. Another alternative could be smoked or charred aged whiskies which lend much complexity to the overall blend. So too with blended Scotches whose subtle smoke is a great starting point for amateur mixologists to infuse a smoky hint in drinks without overdoing the spicy notes.
Adding Smoked Ingredients
Another tip is to go for ingredients which are smoked beforehand. This can mean charred herbs like rosemary, thyme or sage and smoked spices like paprika or black pepper that complement the smoky notes which would emanate from a base spirit like a smoky whisky and from the smoke that would be released into the cocktail using wood chips.
One other way to bring this smoky effect into drinks is in the form of smoked salt rims. Not only do these work as excellent garnishes, but such small flourishes also enable to infuse a light smoky effect gradually into blends made with diverse base spirits.
Also Read: Here’s Why You Should Smoke Your Cocktails
Smoking The Glass Or Drink
And then there is the method of introducing actual aromatic smoke into cocktails with aromatised wood chips or dried tea leaves using a simple blow torch and a cloche to cover the cocktail. What works at home for smoking glasses like a pro is burning cinnamon sticks or cloves or dried herbs in a glass and covering it with a tea coaster to trap the smoke. Another tip is to use a handheld smoker that is easily available for infusing smoke into a glass. And one no-brainer hack which tends to be skipped over is to cover the glass containing the cocktail for at least 30 seconds to let the smoke envelop the drink. In fact, for the pro effect, uncover the drink only when it is served — to imbue it with a theatrical quality.
Complementary Flavour Pairings
Add ingredients like citrus peels which lend a bright lift to smoky cocktails. Other ingredients like maple syrup can imbue these mixes with a deep, rich sweetness that ends up complimenting the smoky flavours of the blend. The key is to pair smoky elements like smoked garnishes or aromatised wood chip smoke with other cocktail ingredients that matche with these deep and earthy flourishes for arriving at a balanced blend. Sometimes creamy elements like frothy egg whites coupled with a charred rosemary garnish can also be used as elegant compliments in smoked cocktails.
Dilution And Ice
Finally, what retains the smoky balance in such specially curated drinks is the right amount of ice. Use large ice cubes to slow down dilution and to avoid watering the drink down. Topping a smoked cocktail off with about 15 ml sparkling water or soda can also be an interesting hack which lightens cocktail texture while preserving the aroma and other complementary flavours. Taste as you build the smoky elements into the drink to craft a balance between the chilled blend ensconced in fragrant smoke.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
