While the science of smoking cocktails and spirits might seem like the exclusive domain of distinguished bars populated by leather wingback chairs and fancy glassware, you can infuse your own booze with plumes right at home. Bourbon, the world’s greatest corn derivative, is classically conducive to the practice. Smoking not only gives the deep amber liquor a moody aesthetic upgrade, it brings different dimensions to the flavors you might be used to. It can also be a clever way to dress up the lesser bourbon you might otherwise leave on the shelf, with smoke redirecting attention from otherwise unimpressive labels. But you will need some special equipment to start smoking.
As much as you may wish to lean into the “Y” in “DIY,” a package deal is likely the best deal for novice bourbon smokers. You also might want to spend a ton on what could end up being a very occasional hobby. And some smokers are so ugly — requiring ungainly rubber tubes to work — that they kind of counteract the drink’s allure before it’s even finished. The Aged & Charred Whiskey Smoker Kit with Torch and Butane makes an attractive, entry-level smoker kit for around $85 on Amazon. It includes eight different wood chip varieties, the torch you need to scorch them, the butane that powers the torch, and a critical, smoke-trapping lid of standard size said to fit most rocks glasses. All you need to add is the mash.
Matching your bourbon with the right woodsy flavors for smoking
Between all of the bourbon in creation, and every conceivable type of wood to burn, you’re looking at an almost endless array of smoked bourbon options at your trigger fingertips. Basic oak, included among some fruit and nut infusions in the Aged and Charred kit, is a good place to start. The thick smoke it evokes is going to be among the most neutrally perfumed you’ll fire up. That even keel could account for oak’s popularity among bourbon-smoking materials.
Part of the fun, in addition to playing with forbidden fire, is calculating which flavors will play best together. Fruit woods like cherry and peach will bring out some of your bourbon’s subtly sweet spring and summertime sensations. Pecan, on the other hand, would be great with vanilla-forward bourbons. And mesquite makes everything it touches more savory, full-bodied, and substantial in character. Plus, each unique smoke and bourbon combination will, of course, be imbued not only with those light taste variations, but with a photogenic twist on the everyday drink at home.
