How to Make a Smoked Old Fashioned Cocktail

At Seattle restaurant Mistral Kitchen, bar manager Andrew Bohrer makes a drink called the Courting Rachel: a hickory-smoked version of the Old Fashioned cocktail. It begins with an ice diamond, which Bohrer carves to order -- in a flurry of ice shavings -- from a four-inch cube of perfectly clear ice.

In a pitcher, Bohrer blends 2 ounces bourbon (he prefers Maker's Mark because it holds up well to the smoke), a quarter-ounce of rye whiskey simple syrup, and two dashes Peychaud's bitters.

Next comes the smoke: Bohrer uses a small, portable smoker (which he warns "will definitely break at some point") into which he packs finely-shredded hickory shavings, and lights.

The smoke is fed into a decanter that's used only for this cocktail. "Even if you wash it out after every use, the smoky smell sticks around," Bohrer warns.

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In goes the cocktail!

After plugging the decanter, Bohrer swirls it around a few times, aerating the liquid with smoke.

Bohrer pours the drink into an ice-filled glass -- it's a dramatic presentation, with smoke spilling across the bar.

Once the smoke subsides, we're left with a potent cocktail, sweet-bitter with a balanced smoky kick. See the recipe for the Courting Rachel »