Thank You for Smoking

CHAPTER TWO

SMOKY COCKTAILS

An herbaceous gin martini served with a whiff of campfire, a chile-infused margarita made with the bittersweet juice of a charred blood orange, or smoked tomato juice for the ultimate Bloody Mathilda (Mary’s ill-behaved cousin)…who’s thirsty? As I’m known to suggest (when the light begins to fade and the snap and crackle of a charcoal fire ushers in the close of another day), let’s start with a drink. Adding a smoky nuance to adult beverages is as fun—and seductive—as it is with food. In this chapter, I’ll talk about setting up a smoked bar with flavor enhancers that make classic cocktails more thrilling, as well as share a few of my favorite elixirs to keep you refreshed when you’re firing up dinner.

My smoked bar primer begins with a collection of fragrant simple syrups that add aroma and just the right amount of sweetness. Then I turn to smoked secret weapons: spicy salt rims, smoky muddled fruits, and homemade liqueurs that make drinks (and everyday occasions) more memorable. To keep your options flexible, some of these recipes rely on ingredients that are already smoky, like molasses, smoked paprika, and spirits like Scotch and mezcal that provide their own bittersweet, burnt, and peaty nuances. The idea here is to stock your smoked bar over time so you can eventually create inspired options on the fly and step up everything from Manhattans to your evening nightcap (the elixir you want to sip while curled up with a hefty novel or, let’s be honest, the latest J.Crew catalog). Most of these enhancers can be incorporated into a “bulk smoke” on an afternoon when you’re already building your smoked larder (see this page), and they’ll last for months in the refrigerator or pantry. Other accoutrements can be flavored in a flash with the help of a smoking gun.

Combine the sugar, water, star anise, allspice, cloves, coriander, and bay leaves in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to steep at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much syrup as possible, before chilling. (Or, for a more robust flavor and a spicier syrup, do not strain the aromatics before chilling.) Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, and orange peel in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to steep at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much syrup as possible. (Or, for a stronger spiced flavor, do not strain before chilling.)

Place the kumquats, sugar, arbol chile, and peppercorns in the bowl of a food processor and pulse into a coarse puree. Transfer the mixture to a glass jar, add the Grand Marnier, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 week. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much syrup as possible.

To smoke the syrup, transfer it to a glass jar. Add a pinch of wood chips to the burn chamber of a smoking gun, place the hose in the jar with the end above the syrup, and cover the jar with plastic wrap. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ignite the wood chips and smoke for a few seconds, until the jar is filled with a dense smoke. Remove the hose and reseal the plastic wrap. Let the syrup infuse for 3 minutes, then remove the plastic wrap, stir the syrup, and repeat the process once more. Cover the jar with its lid and store the smoked syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Yes, these olives and their brine (see the photo on this page) will make your dirty martini dreams come true, but they’re also an inspired addition to grain salads and seafood pastas, or as a savory snack—just marinate them with extra-virgin olive oil, a crushed garlic clove, red pepper flakes, and herbs. In a pinch, you can use dried bay leaves here, but as with most of my recipes, I strongly prefer the distinct “green” flavor that fresh bay leaves impart.

Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high.

When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, use tongs to remove the cooking grate and place a drip pan with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of warm water on the side with no coals, and add your smoke source (chips, chunks, or log). Return the cooking grate to its position, allow it to preheat, and then carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.

Pour the olives and their brine in a disposable aluminum pan and tuck the fresh rosemary and bay leaves into the liquid. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the olives over indirect heat, close the grill, vent the grill for smoking, and smoke for 30 to 60 minutes, as desired for smokiness (use a spoon to taste an olive and a bit of brine). Remove from the heat and set the olives aside to cool. Transfer the olives, herbs, and brine to clean glass jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire, or heat a gas grill to medium-high.

Place the cherries, rosemary, bay leaves, red wine vinegar, and water in a disposable aluminum pan, tucking the herbs under the fruit. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the cherries over indirect heat, close the grill, vent the grill for smoking, and smoke for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is dark and soft and has reached your desired level of smokiness (use a spoon to taste a cherry and a bit of brine). Set the cherries aside to cool and then use a fine-meshed sieve to strain the liquid into a small saucepan and discard the herbs. Place the drained cherries in a clean glass jar.

Add the balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, and star anise to the saucepan with the cherry brine and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and let the brine cool for 10 minutes.

Pour enough brine to cover the cherries into the glass jar, allow the liquid to cool completely, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate for 2 days to allow the flavors to meld before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

This blend of chile-tinged salt and sugar provides a kiss of heat for margaritas and palomas. While you can use any pure ground chile powder for this recipe, I prefer the bright, high-noon heat of red chiles (like ancho or arbol) and chipotle (made from dried and smoked jalapeños).

Combine the salt, sugar, and chile powders in a glass jar, cover, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month. To use for a cocktail, place the Border Dust on a plate or shallow bowl. Moisten the glass rim with a lime wedge (or dip it in water), dip the rim in the Border Dust, and add your preferred beverage.

Combine the tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, fish sauce, and celery salt in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. To smoke the mixture, add a pinch of wood chips to the burn chamber of a smoking gun. Place the hose in the cocktail shaker with the end above the liquid, and partially cover the shaker with the lid. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ignite the wood chips and smoke for a few seconds, until the shaker is filled with a dense smoke. Remove the hose, close the shaker, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Divide the drink between 2 tall pint glasses (adding more ice as needed) and garnish as desired.

Bright with citrus notes and a kick of chile, a drizzle of kumquat syrup creates a sophisticated take on a mimosa (meet your new favorite brunch companion). To give this drink a French 75 spin, add ¾ ounce (20 ml) gin along with the syrup.

6 to 10 ounces (180 to 300 ml) Champagne or dry sparkling wine (such as Cava), well chilled

Pour the smoked kumquat syrup into a Champagne flute, top off the glass with the bubbly, and garnish with the lemon twist.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peels from the lemons and oranges in wide strips, making sure to avoid the bitter white pith. Place the peels in a 1-quart (950 ml) glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and add the alcohol. Tighten the lid and let the mixture steep at room temperature in a cool, dark place, undisturbed, for 12 days. After 12 days, remove the peels and add the syrup. Stir to combine and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Charred blood oranges and a spicy spirit make this margarita a force to be reckoned with. Alba Huerta, one of the South’s most talented mixologists and the owner of Julep in Houston, turned me on to Ancho Reyes, an ancho chile liqueur based on a 1927 recipe from Puebla, Mexico. The unique spirit adds a tingling heat to a traditional margarita (or any other tequila drink).

Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire, or heat a gas grill to medium-high.

When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, add your smoke source (chips, chunks, or log). Carefully wipe the preheated grill grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.

Halve 1 blood orange horizontally and grill it cut side down over direct heat until dark char marks appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice the other blood orange into ¼-inch (6 mm) rounds and grill until charred on one side, about 1 minute. Place the Border Dust on a plate or shallow bowl. Juice the blood orange halves. Moisten the rim of a rocks glass and dip it into the Border Dust to coat. Combine the tequila, Ancho Reyes, Cointreau, 1 ounce (30 ml) juice from the charred blood orange, and the lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Fill the salt-rimmed glass with ice and strain the margarita into the glass. Garnish with a ½ round of charred blood orange.

If you’re not familiar with the exquisite lyrics in Townes Van Zandt’s song “Pancho and Lefty,” do yourself a favor and download it immediately. Like his song, this drink (see the photo on this page)—which gets a smoky hit from mezcal and a mule kick of heat from jalapeño-infused syrup—raises a glass to Pancho Villa’s trusty sidekick, Lefty.

Combine the tequila, mezcal, and syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Add the grapefruit soda, top off with sparkling water, and garnish with the grapefruit twist.

Gem and Bolt is one of my favorite mezcals because it’s distilled with damiana, a Mexican herb long revered by the Mayans and Aztecs for its aphrodisiac and mood-elevating properties. I choose to believe in the magic (why not?) and am pretty sure this drink will take you to a higher level of consciousness.

Combine the mezcal, elderflower liqueur, bitters, grapefruit juice, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the grapefruit twist.

My family and friends begin each New Year’s Day with a “polar bear plunge” into Barton Springs, a beautiful spring-fed pool in Austin that remains 68°F (20°C) year-round. The water is almost always warmer than the temperature of the air, so the most challenging part of the jump is usually disrobing on the cold concrete and working up the nerve to leap. The adults often arrive in robes and furry hats, clutching thermoses of coffee or hair-of-the-dog beverages like this cocktail, which is as refreshing as the plunge. Of course, you’re not likely to fire up your grill just for oranges, but while it’s roaring for dinner some night, particularly in cooler weather, sizzle a few orange (or tangerine) slices on the grates or in a grill pan and set them aside (or refrigerate them) to make this drink.

Combine the aquavit, Lillet Blanc, Cointreau, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a double rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with the charred tangerine slice.

My fondness for a coffee liqueur (something I hadn’t really sipped since college) was renewed when our abundantly talented friends gave us a homemade hazelnut liqueur as a holiday present. They used toasted hazelnuts and roasted coffee beans in their version, but of course I needed to try it with smoked nuts and a smoked vanilla bean for added perfume. You can sip this liqueur on its own, serve it with half-and-half White Russian–style, or use it in Carey’s cocktail, the Little Chestnut (this page). Starting with a triple-distilled vodka will create the smoothest results. I don’t strain the vanilla or coffee beans because they look pretty in the jar and continue to infuse the liqueur over time.

Pour the vodka into a 1-pint (475 ml) glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and add the hazelnuts, vanilla bean, and coffee beans. Tighten the lid and let the mixture steep at room temperature, undisturbed, for at least 1 week to allow the flavors to develop (then it’s ready to enjoy). Remove the hazelnuts, and then store in a cool, dark place at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Created by my neighbor Carey Eskridge, this beautiful digestif (after dinner drink) is brimming with botanical notes that are balanced by the rich, smooth quality of the hazelnut and coffee liqueur.

Combine the Five O’Clock Somewhere, Fernet Branca, Punt e Mes, and bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir well with a bar spoon and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with the lemon peel.

To make Carey’s aperitif (before dinner) version of this cocktail, combine 2 ounces (60 ml) Five O’Clock Somewhere (this page), ¾ ounce (22 ml) sweet Vermouth (preferably Del Professore), ½ ounce (15 ml) dry vermouth (preferably Dolin), 3 dashes Angostura bitters, and garnish and serve as instructed previously, with a lemon twist.

In this refreshing drink, warm spices and ginger ale balance the deep flavors of a peaty Scotch (and quite possibly transport you to a heather-covered hillside in the Highlands). For the fullest flavor, use strongly spiced soda, like Blenheim Hot Ginger Ale. Complete the armchair travel by serving with Smoked Scottish Oatcakes (this page) and a nicely aged Cheddar.

Combine the Scotch, syrup, and bitters in a Collins glass filled with ice cubes and stir to combine. Top off with the ginger ale and garnish with the lemon wedge.

Combine the gin, vermouth, and olive brine in a mixing glass. Add a handful of ice cubes and stir with a bar spoon. Strain the mixture into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with 1 or 2 smoked olives and the lemon twist.

Fill a stemless wine tumbler (or a highball glass) with ice and add the gin. Top with the tonic and garnish with the peppercorns and thyme.

Place the sugar cube in an old-fashioned glass. Douse with the bitters and the water. Add the whiskey and stir with a bar spoon until the sugar is dissolved. Add several large ice cubes and stir rapidly to chill. Garnish with the pickled cherries and the orange twist.