Drinks

How to Make a Smoked Old Fashioned Cocktail

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.
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 »

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