The Science Lesson That Tells You How Smoked Cocktails Work

If you haven't tried one yourself, seeing a bartender smoke a glass before pouring a drink into it may look superfluous, but there's a scientific method behind the show. Smoking a cocktail glass isn't just for the aesthetic — it adds deeper flavor.

To do it, bartenders take a torch to a specialized plank of wood in the desired flavor (such as hickory or maple) until it catches fire, then place a glass upside-down over the burning area. The trapped smoke suffocates the flame and binds to the glass because the smoke molecules stick to the cooler surface. The reason you can taste and not just smell the smoke is because the toasted wood creates a Maillard reaction — when sugars and amino acids react to create flavor compounds. Once you trap that smoke in your glass, any drink you put into it absorbs the flavor. It's not hard to believe when you consider that chefs smoke pounds of brisket, so why not apply these smoky techniques to mixology?

If your mom ever told you not to play with fire, now is the time to disregard that advice. You don't have to be a professional bartender (or chemist) to make your own billowing brews. All you need to get started is a plank of wood and a torch. You can pick up a cheap board from your local hardware store, but make sure it isn't pine, which can smell overwhelming, or treated with preservatives. The best woods for smoking cocktails are oak, maple, cherry, hickory, and apple for their robust smokiness or sweetness.  A butane kitchen torch or any that can produce a narrow, consistent flame is the best option for scorching the wood plank. And if you don't want to keep going through wood at the hardware store, you can buy the Smokeshow cocktail smoker starter bundle on Amazon.

Another important note is that not every cocktail is designed for smoking. The best options for a smoked drink are likely ones with dark liquor like bourbon, whiskey, rum, and añejo mezcal. The Manhattan, old-fashioned, and smoke on the water are all great cocktail choices to try. You can even add a smoky twist to your pineapple margarita. For an extra layer of flavor, fire up the grill for your cocktails by charring fruit slices like peaches and pineapples. However you smoke your cocktails, be safe and do it in style.