Smoke is one of the most evocative flavour categories in food and one of the most overdone in bars. The trick is knowing which smoke goes with which drink, and when smoke is decoration versus actually doing something. Here are the four ways we use it.
1. Smoke the spirit (the right way)
The cleanest way to add smoke flavour is to use a spirit that already has smoke. Mezcal, peated whiskies, smoked rum, smoked vodka. The smoke lives inside the liquid and lasts the whole drink. Nothing more elegant than this approach.
When this works: anywhere you can build the drink around the smoky spirit. A Penicillin uses a small float of Islay whisky to add smoke to a non-smoky base. An Oaxaca Old Fashioned blends tequila with a barspoon of mezcal. The smoke is integral, not added on.
2. Smoke the glass
The classic restaurant trick: light a wood chip on fire (cherry, hickory, oak), let it smoke under an inverted glass for thirty seconds, flip the glass right-side-up and pour the drink in. The smoke clings to the inside of the glass and rises into the drinker's nose with every sip.
When this works: stirred whisky drinks, mezcal cocktails, anything where the smoke complements brown-spirit character. Old Fashioneds especially.
When this does not work: light citrus drinks, anything with strong floral notes, summer drinks. The smoke fights the drink instead of supporting it.
3. Smoke an ingredient before the drink
Smoke a fruit, a syrup, or an herb before it goes into the cocktail. Smoked pineapple in a tiki drink. Smoked lemon for a smoked whiskey sour. Smoked rosemary for an Old Fashioned. Pre-smoking an ingredient distributes the smoke evenly through the drink instead of leaving it on the rim.
Method: a small handheld smoker (the Polyscience "Smoking Gun" is the standard tool, around RM 500 from specialist kitchenware shops in KL) lets you smoke a small amount of an ingredient under an upturned bowl. Five to ten minutes is enough to pick up serious smoke flavour. Then use that ingredient in the recipe.
When this works: any time you want the smoke as a layer rather than a top note.
4. Smoked ice
The technique with the longest tail. Freeze water that has been smoked first (either by pre-smoking the water under a cloche, or by freezing water into ice cubes inside a smoke-filled container). As the ice melts in the drink, it releases smoke through the entire life of the cocktail.
This is the technique we use most often. A smoked ice cube in an Old Fashioned changes the drink completely; you get a faint smoke note that builds rather than fades. Very different from the other three approaches.
Trade-off: smoked ice is a labour-of-love process. You need to make the ice a day ahead, store it in a sealed container so the smoke does not migrate to other ice, and use it relatively quickly. Worth doing for a special drink; not practical for high-volume service.
What we avoid
The "smoking cloche" service where the drink is built normally and a glass dome of smoke is placed over it for visual effect. The smoke does not actually penetrate the liquid (smoke is mostly carried by air, not absorbed by alcohol in the time the cloche sits). What you get is a drink with a smoky smell on the first sip that disappears immediately, and no smoke flavour in the body of the drink. It looks impressive on social media and tastes like a regular cocktail. We have done it. We do not love it.
Choosing the wood
Different woods produce noticeably different smoke profiles:
- Cherry wood: sweet, fruity, mellow. Pairs with bourbon and aged rum. Our default.
- Hickory: stronger, more bacon-adjacent. Pairs with peated whisky and anything savoury.
- Oak: neutral, slightly tannic. Good safe choice for almost any brown spirit.
- Applewood: light, sweet. Good for delicate drinks where you do not want the smoke to dominate.
- Mesquite: intense and slightly bitter. Best for mezcal-based drinks.
- Tea (lapsang souchong, used as smoke fuel): distinctly tea-smoky, more pine resin than wood. Unusual and worth trying.
Local woods: we have not done much with tropical hardwoods (cengal, meranti) because they are mostly used for construction rather than cooking. If you have access to fruit-tree wood from a Malaysian farm (rambutan, durian, mangosteen wood) we would be interested to try it.
One small thing about smoke and food
If you are eating at the bar, do not order a smoked cocktail with delicate food. The smoke on the drink will affect everything else you put in your mouth for the next ten minutes. Smoked cocktails go better with smoked or grilled food (which expects smoke flavour) than with raw or steamed dishes.
Come over and order something smoked at the bar. We will pick the technique that fits the drink rather than the one that looks best on Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four ways to add smoke to a cocktail?
Use a smoky spirit (mezcal, peated Scotch, smoked rum) so the smoke lives inside the liquid; smoke the glass with a wood chip and pour the drink in; pre-smoke an ingredient (fruit, syrup, herb) with a handheld smoker like the Polyscience Smoking Gun; or freeze smoked water into ice cubes that release smoke as they melt. Each produces a different intensity and arc.
How do I smoke a glass for an Old Fashioned at home?
Light a wood chip (cherry, hickory, or oak) until smouldering, place it on a heat-safe saucer, invert a rocks glass over it for thirty seconds so the smoke clings to the inside, then flip the glass upright and pour the drink in. The smoke rises into your nose with every sip. Works well for stirred whisky and mezcal drinks; fights light citrus or floral ones.
Which wood should I use for smoking cocktails?
Cherry is sweet and mellow and pairs with bourbon and aged rum, the default for most home use. Hickory is stronger and bacon-adjacent, suited to peated whisky. Oak is neutral and safe for any brown spirit. Applewood is light and good for delicate drinks. Mesquite is intense and slightly bitter, best with mezcal. Lapsang souchong tea works as fuel for a distinct pine-resin smoke.
How is smoked ice different from a smoking-gun service?
Smoked ice releases smoke through the entire life of the cocktail as it melts, so the smoke note builds rather than fades. A smoking-gun cloche service looks dramatic but the smoke barely penetrates the liquid; the first sip smells smoky, the rest tastes like a regular drink. Smoked ice takes a day to prepare and dedicated storage; the cloche is theatre with little flavour pay-off.
Where can I order a smoked cocktail in PJ?
Mention smoke at Dissolved Solids (43-1 Jalan SS20/11, Damansara Kim, WhatsApp +60 11-4008 7607) or Soluble Solids (50-1 Jalan SS2/24, WhatsApp +60 11-1682 8651). We will build a smoked Old Fashioned with either smoked ice or a smoked glass depending on the night, and pick the wood (usually cherry) to suit the spirit. Order with grilled food rather than delicate dishes.