As If Life’s Drama Wasn’t Enough, Smoked Cocktails Have Now Become My Newest Theatrical Preference

Imagine sitting at a bar with a simple highball glass containing a flavourful gin and tonic. It is filled with ice, flavoured with a rosemary garnish and finished off with the fizzy texture of sparkling water. Nothing wrong with this cocktail, it is tastefully crafted and elegant. That was me, lounging at the bar with such a sophisticated glass of G&T in hand. 

Now, imagine someone at the opposite table being served a cocktail covered with a glass cloche. This drink is dramatically brought from the bar to the table and slowly, the maître’d uncovers the cloche dome to reveal a thick smoke to the cries of ‘Oooo!’ and the flashing of phone cameras from the patrons seated there. The smoke slowly clears to gradually reveal a golden, orangish looking drink with a curiously deep countenance as it sits there in all its grandeur, bringing much drama to the table.

This spectacle unfolded before me at one of the newest local dives in town. I stared at it for the whole of its duration. Turning to the bartender, I then exclaimed in a needlessly loud voice, “I’ll have what they’re having!”

This pretty much sums up my relationship with smoked drinks, which have, in a rather short while, brought a lot of theatricality and drama into my cocktail personality.

Purist Meets Avant Garde Cocktails

As a self-proclaimed purist, I had never been quite fond of modern contraptions which infuse twists into cocktails that at best seem too avant garde and at worst seem quite gimmicky. The concept of smoked cocktails – in my mind it was connected to charred flavours found in savoury foods cooked on the barbecue – was full of these reservations. I had dismissed them in my head, as awfully over-the-top drinks with needless flourish. This was until the whole episode of the smoked cocktail unravelled at the city’s new hotshot bar. 

This cocktail was called the Persian Trader and contained about 30 ml gin, a dash of sweet vermouth, a tablespoon of saffron infused simple syrup and a dehydrated orange wheel garnish. I ordered it because I was so fascinated by the scene which had unfolded before my eyes and when the drink came to my table, I watched in glee as the dome was lifted to unmask that cloud of smoke. At once, I was able to take in the aromatic touch of wood chips which were used to introduce this smoky layer into the cocktail. And tasting the drink, the first flavour note which came through was this earthy, woody essence of the smoke which introduced a lot of complexity into the luxuriously flavoured blend.

Demystifying Smoked Cocktails

This is what smoked cocktails are all about. To me, they appear to be a parable of all of life’s big and small moments which are similarly peppered with the drama that makes these episodes that much more colourful. 

Introducing smoke into cocktails in the form of actual wood chip smoke or even through smoky spirits or charred garnishes, then feels all about bringing into drinks these varied ingredients that lend the preparation a touch of theatricality.

So it is that my personality leans towards the dramatic… not just IRL but also in mixology. Patiently prepared and presented with quite a bit of a performance, the drama of smoky cocktails is complete with a dignified depth. 

Mixology With A Twist Of Drama

Yet, a hint of playfulness emerges despite their sombre form. That errant cinnamon stick or that slightly burnt rosemary sprig adds a surprising aromatic element that weaves through the cocktail like a flavourful wand wielding its dramatic magic. Such spiced infusions build unexpected flavour notes, that make these concoctions that much more fun, that much more emotive.

A bit of this flourish in my smoked cocktails, then becomes a reminder of something ritualistic, something intriguing, like a dramatic climax about to unravel itself through the serving glass. I seek this cocktail out now in monsoon weather, to bring a touch of spice and a hint of mystic theatre that infuses much depth into these dark and slightly chilly evenings. 

Rather purposefully and with the same kind of drama, I order smoked cocktails while sitting at a table in the centre of the bar, in full view of all patrons who would perhaps stare at the drink and say, “I’ll have what she’s having.”

Also Read: 3 Pear-Infused Cocktails For That Subtle Autumnal Fruity Flavour