Smoked Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

This smoked old fashioned cocktail will make you feel like the chairman of your very own Fortune 500 company, or, better yet, Frank Sinatra. The secret to this complex, aromatic, and sweet cocktail is nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

The old fashioned is a vintage bourbon- or rye-based cocktail that has a murky history and an undeniable depth of flavors arising from its balance of bitters and simple syrup. Smoking adds depth and complexity to many cocktails, and it works particularly well in an old fashioned. According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, the smoky notes complement the whiskey's richness and the bitters' spice.

While there are several methods to create smoked simple syrup, we turn to a smoking top for convenience and control over the quality and quantity of our smoke. We start by first infusing the syrup itself with a subtle flavor that goes deep into the bones of this drink. Then, we smoke the entire cocktail itself, adding a punch of aroma and taste to the glass. Finally, we light a rosemary sprig garnish on fire, letting the trailing smoke drive the profile of the drink home. Our triple-smoked old fashioned not only shines with nuanced flavors, but it also benefits from a visually striking presentation. What's not to love?

You'll need a few simple ingredients for this twist on an old fashioned, and a smoking top, wood chips, and a smoking gun will likely be the only specialty things you'll need. Next, you'll need to choose either rye or bourbon whiskey as the base. Rye, which is the key ingredient in a similar cocktail, the Manhattan, has a much stronger flavor, while bourbon is much sweeter. Granulated sugar and water are essential for making the simple syrup. Finally, angostura bitters will add depth and complexity to the drink, balancing the syrup's sweetness. For garnishes, prepare an orange curl, a bourbon-soaked cherry, and a fresh rosemary sprig. Don't forget large ice cubes to keep your drink perfectly chilled without excessive dilution.

Make the simple syrup by combining ¼ cup water and the sugar in a saucepan. Heat until dissolved.

Transfer the simple syrup to a mixing glass. Top with a smoking top and ½ teaspoon wood chips.

Set the smoking top on fire until the smoke fills the entire glass.

Leave the smoking top closed on top of the glass and let the smoke swirl in the syrup for about 30 minutes.

Add the whiskey, 1 ounce smoked simple syrup, and bitters to a tumbler over a large ice cube. Stir gently to combine.

Top with a smoking top and the remaining wood chips. Set the chips on fire.

Swirl the cocktail around the tumbler.

Pour the liquid into a whiskey tumbler glass with a large ice cube.

Garnish with the orange curl, cherry, and rosemary sprig.

Light the end of the rosemary on fire briefly to enhance the smoky aroma.

Serve immediately.

While a smoking top is the easiest method for infusing cocktails with smoke, not everyone has one lying around. Alternatively, there are a number of things you can do to give your cocktail a smoky profile without a smoking top.

One popular technique is using a handheld smoke infuser, which allows you to directly inject smoke into a covered glass or dome containing your cocktail. Another option is the inverted glass method: Place some wood chips on a heat-resistant surface, light them, and quickly cover them with an inverted glass to capture the smoke. Once the glass is filled with smoke, flip it over and pour your cocktail in, trapping the smoke inside. This will not flavor the syrup itself, but it will give a delicate smoke profile to the drink. Of course, if you have a smoker set up on your BBQ, you can use that to flavor the syrup.

If you're looking for a less equipment-intensive method, try infusing your simple syrup with liquid smoke or Lapsang Souchong tea leaves, known for their strong, smoky flavor. Alternatively, you can smoke the whiskey itself by placing it in a shallow dish near smoldering wood chips and covering this with plastic wrap to trap the smoke. Another effective method is to blend the simple syrup with smoke in a blender, which quickly infuses the syrup with smoky flavor.

While the orange peel, cherry, and rosemary sprig are excellent garnishes for a smoked old fashioned, there are other ways to enhance and complement the cocktail's smoky profile. Try using a caramel shard to really drive home the drink's sweetness. A candied bacon strip or a brûléed orange slice will do the same trick.

More bitter citrus elements, such as grapefruit or lemon twists, can add more zing to the drink's deep flavors. For a more intense smokiness, consider using a smoked salt rim or even adding a few drops of mezcal to the mix.

Replacing the rosemary with thyme or sage can introduce earthy, aromatic qualities that pair well with the whiskey and smoke. A cinnamon stick or star anise pod can add warm, complex notes. When infusing the smoke, experiment with different wood chips, such as apple, cherry, or hickory, to create unique smoke flavors that will complement your whiskey of choice.