We did a smoked whiskey cocktail with a sparkling twist!
SMOKED WHISKEY COCKTAIL FOR THE HEARTY DRINKER
I’m bringing you another smoked cocktail that is deep in flavor and suited for those who like hearty cocktails. For this cocktail, I’ll be adding even a deeper flavor to the whiskey by cold smoking it with a handheld food smoker. A rich syrup is made first and then added to our cocktail that can be served hot or cold. Perfect, either way, to warm you up on cold winter days!
Fresca Cocktail with Strawberries is very easy. Merely cut your strawberries and place them on your grill to enhance their flavor then process into a flavorful drink.
If you enjoy fruity drinks or smoothies, then the Smoked Strawberry Aqua Fresca is perfect! Using seasonal fresh strawberries will bring this to the ultimate flavor height but any store purchased variety will work as well. This is the perfect cocktail for a summer event or as a non-alcoholic refresher on an exceptionally warm summer day. Get ready as we tell you how to do the smoking technique then construct this fabulous drink.
We’ve always tried to stress that smoking doesn’t necessarily have to involve the entire item but rather you can simply smoke one component. That’s just what we are doing with our latest smoked cocktail.
Smoky bourbon cranberry cocktail is a simple but elegant drink for holiday celebrations during the colder months.
SMOKY BOURBON CRANBERRY COCKTAIL
For those of you who love bourbon, we’ve got a special cocktail for the sampling. This is a rather festive drink containing cranberry. We add an additional layer of flavor by cold smoking the cranberry cocktail syrup for a unique blend of sweet, tart, and smoky. Let’s get started on how it’s done.
Smoky Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail- Making Cranberry Syrup
Our smoked bourbon cranberry cocktail starts with the ingredients for a cocktail syrup. Similar to traditional simple syrup, this one has a bit more acid in the form of white wine vinegar. You’ll need to gather together:
1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup of white wine vinegar
Sugar- 1 cup
You also need a saucepan and heat tolerant spoon.
Start by placing a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the white wine vinegar and the cup of sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Next in, one cup of cranberries, fresh or frozen, though I’m using fresh as they are available at the time of this recipe. Bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Once the sugar is dissolved and the cranberries have reduced, remove from the heat and allow to cool in the saucepan. While the mixture is cooling, let’s prepare the handheld smoker for the smoke vapor infusion.
Cold Smoking is in Your Hand
It’s never been so easy to produce smoked ingredients with the development of the handheld food smoker. It all began with The Smoking Gun™ which is the unit I will be using today, but know there are many options available to you. I set up my handheld food smoker with Sugar Maple Minuto® Wood Chips.
Bringing the cooled saucepan to a table, I have a piece of press and seal at the ready, but you can use plastic wrap, a food storage bag, or vacuum bag, anything that will provide a seal. I seal around the saucepan leaving a small opening to insert the tubing of the food smoker. Turning the unit’s fan on, I light the wood chips and allow the smoke vapor to fill the saucepan. Once filled, I release the tubing from the pan and seal the pan completely with the wrap, allowing the smoke to penetrate the cranberry syrup. The longer the pan stays wrapped, the more smoke flavor the syrup will take on. Once infused, remove the wrap and prepare to make the cocktail.
Smoky Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail- Building a Smoky Cocktail
To make the cocktail, place ice in a rock glass. Add ¼ cup plus a splash of your favorite bourbon. Add two tablespoons of seltzer and two tablespoons of the cranberry syrup. Stir and add a tablespoon of fresh cranberries. It’s now ready to serve! Smoky Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail – a unique drink for all those bourbon lovers you know.
The warmer season means we all look for new cocktails to serve and enjoy during the longer days of sunlight. For those of you who are a fan of the fruity cocktail, why not take a less traditional approach and bring a new flavor level in.
Taking the popular Bellini cocktail featuring Prosecco to a new level, this recipe features smoked pear. Once you’ve followed our segment on smoking fresh pears, you’ll be ready to try this distinct cocktail. Be warned, this is not for the light, fruity drinker as this has a strong, smoky undertone giving it more of a savory flavor.
