Smoked Old Fashioned (2024)

Here’s a way to put this classic co*cktail over the top: a Smoked Old Fashioned! This over-the-top spin infuses smoke into every sip.

Smoked Old Fashioned (1)

Here’s a way to take one of the oldest classic co*cktails up a notch…or two or three: a Smoked Old Fashioned! This drink is for the adventurous home bartender who’s after over-the-top flavors. It requires some special equipment (a smoking gun) and a little time. But it’s absolutely worth it! The Smoked Old Fashioned is a co*cktail that’s cold-smoked, infusing a smoky depth into the classic whiskey drink. It makes a drink experience you’ll never forget.

Want a smoky flavor without special equipment? Try the Oaxaca Old Fashioned (with Mezcal).

Start with a smoking gun!

Wait, a smoking gun? Yes, you need a special tool for the smoked Old Fashioned: a smoking gun. It’s a tool used to cold smoke the food: that is, it injects a smoky flavor without applying heat. You can use it indoors and it’s powered by wood chips. We’ve had ours for a few years, and in that time we’ve used it to smoke just about everything! Outside of co*cktails, we’ve used it to smoke:

Before you can make this drink, make sure to find a smoking gun! We’ve used the Breville smoking gun for years and it works like a charm. Follow the instructions that come with the smoking gun for the mechanics behind how to use it.

Smoked Old Fashioned (2)

How to make a smoked Old Fashioned

Making a smoked Old Fashioned requires 3 separate applications of smoke. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Smoke the sugar, co*cktail cherry and orange peel for 2 minutes. It’s easier to infuse smoke into the garnishes vs the liquid. So here the garnishes are the important part! Use the smoking gun to add smoke to the glass, then cover with a larger glass or glass pitcher.
  2. Smoke again for 2 minutes. To really infuse the smoky flavor, you’ll do a second “booster” smoke by filling the glass with smoke again and covering it.
  3. Make the drink. Muddle the sugar with water, then add the bourbon and ice. Add back the smoked garnishes.
  4. Smoke a third time. Smoke the glass for a third time for 2 minutes to infuse the final smoky flavor and make for a showy presentation.
Smoked Old Fashioned (3)

To make it even more showy, use clear ice!

The ice you use matters! We’ll assume you’re a seasoned home bartender if you’re trying a smoked Old Fashioned. Since it’s all about presentation, we highly recommend using clear ice. What is it?

  • Clear ice is crystal clear ice: instead of cloudy ice that forms when you use an ice tray. You can cut clear ice into larger, organic shapes that look just like a drink from a fancy bar.
  • Make it at home! It’s the best way to step up your homemade co*cktail game, and it takes only 24 hours. Here’s How to Make Clear Ice.
Smoked Old Fashioned (4)

More about the Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned gets its name because it started as literallytheco*cktail. The first co*cktail in existence! It was first documented in the early 1800’s by a New York paper. Once more co*cktails started coming along in the 1806’s, they needed a name for that original whiskey co*cktail. The “Old Fashioned” was born.

The Old Fashioned is a classic alcoholic drink on the list of International Bartender Association’sIBA official co*cktails. This means that there’s an “official” definition of the drink, which is:

  • Bourbon or rye whiskey
  • Sugar cube
  • Water
  • Angostura bitters
  • Orange peel and co*cktail cherry garnish

The smoked Old Fashioned came along because bartenders started cold smoking drinks to infuse a smoky flavor. It’s a modern spin on the classic that’s absolutely worth a try.

Want another spin on the Old Fashioned? Try the Wisconsin Old Fashioned, made with brandy and topped off with lemon lime soda. Or try a Maple Old Fashioned with maple syrup.

Smoked Old Fashioned (5)

When to serve a smoked Old Fashioned co*cktail

The smoked Old Fashioned co*cktail is an over the top co*cktail for impressing guests! Use it as a:

  • Happy hour drink
  • Dinner party drink
  • Late night drinks drink
  • Guys night drink
  • co*cktail hour drink

Print

Smoked Old Fashioned (6)

Smoked Old Fashioned

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

Here’s a way to put this classic co*cktail over the top: a Smoked Old Fashioned! This over-the-top spin infuses smoke into every sip.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 sugar cube (1 teaspoon sugar)
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • ½ teaspoon water
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) bourbon whiskey
  • Orange peel for garnish
  • co*cktail cherry for garnish
  • Large ice cube (use clear ice!)
  • Smoking gun

Instructions

  1. Place the sugar cube in a lowball glass and add the bitters. Place the co*cktail cherry and orange peel in the glass. Fill the glass with smoke from the smoking gun and cover the glass with larger glass or pitcher. Wait 2 minutes, then release the smoke. Then fill the glass with smoke again for another 2 minutes, then release.
  2. Remove the orange peel and cherry. Add the water to the sugar cube and mash and swirl it with a muddler or wooden spoon until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
  3. Add the bourbon whiskey and swirl to combine. Add a large ice cube.
  4. Squeeze the orange peel into the drink to release the oils. Gently run the peel around the edge of the glass, then place it in the glass. Garnish with a co*cktail cherry. Fill the glass again with smoke and cover with the larger glass. Wait 2 minutes, then release the smoke and serve.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Smoked
  • Cuisine: co*cktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Smoked Old Fashioned

More whiskey co*cktails

We’ve got lots of great whiskey co*cktails and bourbon co*cktailsfor you to choose from! Here are our favorites:

  • Favorite Whiskey SourPerfectly balanced and so easy to make! Or add a foam topping to make it aBoston Sour.
  • Brown DerbyThis retro drink features grapefruit and honey syrup: sweet and refreshing!
  • Paper Plane A perfectly balanced modern classic.
  • Kentucky Mule A bubbly, gingery way to enjoy bourbon.
  • SazeracThe official co*cktail of New Orleans! Cognac, whiskey and absinthe make up this famous drink. Or try La Louisiane, an even better spin on this classic.
  • Whiskey SmashA tangy and refreshing whiskey drink with lemon juice and mint — like a citrus spin on theMint Julep.
  • Manhattan co*cktailAdd style to your evening with this easy classic whiskey co*cktail made with just three ingredients.
  • Penicillin This tasty modern classic stars Scotch, honey, lemon and ginger.
  • Vieux Carre Strong and sippable, it features whiskey, Cognac and vermouth.
  • Alabama Slammer A retro highball co*cktail full of fruity flavor.
  • Boulevardier co*cktailA stunning classic co*cktail! This easy three ingredient drink an the improvement on the Negroni, swapping gin for warm whiskey.

About the authors

Smoked Old Fashioned (7)

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

Smoked Old Fashioned (2024)

FAQs

What smoke flavor is best for Old Fashioned? ›

The smoky, spicy punch of hickory pairs well with an old-fashioned, a Manhattan, or any other drinks that use aged spirits as their base. Use it sparingly or mix it with Applewood or Oak for tropical co*cktails, spirituous drinks, and tiki drinks.

How do you make a smoked Old Fashioned without a smoke gun? ›

This is the old fashioned way of smoking a co*cktail. If you have no other option, you could try smoking a co*cktail glass by simply burning a small piece of oak, pecan, hickory, or fruit wood on a cutting board and then placing a co*cktail glass over the burning ember. The glass will fill with a small plume of smoke.

What kind of wood chips for smoked Old Fashioned? ›

What kind of wood do you use to smoke an old fashioned? You can use any kind of wood flavor to smoke a co*cktail. Some popular flavors include hickory, oak, cherry or alderwood.

Why do bartenders smoke the glass? ›

The idea behind smoking a drink is to allow the liquid and the smoke flavors to combine into a new unique flavor. The more time you allow this to happen, the better the eventual flavor.

What is the secret to a good Old Fashioned? ›

Old Fashioneds are to be stirred, never shaken. In general, you should shake any co*cktail with citrus juice, egg whites or cream, and stir all others. Use a bar spoon to steadily stir the co*cktail for a maximum of 30 seconds—you want to chill it without melting the ice cube down too much.

Should I wet my wood chips before smoking? ›

In truth, soaking your wood chips and chunks isn't necessary and here's why. Wood chips and chunks that have been soaked have to get rid of any moisture before they can produce smoke. The water on the wood will have to heat to 212°F (the boiling point of water) and will stall there until the water has been evaporated.

Why do you soak wood chips in water before smoking? ›

The only reason for soaking wood chips for smoking is to add another flavor besides the smoke. You can soak your wood chips in virtually any liquid to impart a unique flavor with the exception of water.

Why should you soak wood chips before smoking? ›

The reason people tell you to soak wood before smoking is to prevent the wood chips from combusting into flames. Rather than combusting, the goal is to smolder wood or burn it slowly without a flame - the idea being that the water helps to prevent combustion from occurring when you place the wood on the fire.

What should you not say to a bartender? ›

61 Things You Should Never Say To A Bartender
  • Is this your actual job?
  • But you seem so smart.
  • But you're REALLY funny.
  • Beer me.
  • Surprise me.
  • Can you make me something without calories?
Mar 25, 2014

Why do bartenders put salt on the rim? ›

Place it on the rim, and you allow the drink's flavors to develop in stages. A hit of isolated salt can awaken tongue receptors, which changes what you perceive as the other components of the drink are sipped.

What does a dirty glass mean in a bar? ›

In a dirty glass.” If you spent a lot of time watching old Westerns or parodies of old Westerns, you've seen leathery men order their drink in a dirty glass. It's meant to make them look hardened and dangerous.

What is the best smoke flavor? ›

By far, the two most popular pellet flavors are hickory and apple. Both are classic BBQ woods, and between the two you can cook just about anything. Hickory produces a moderate smoke that's strong enough to stand up to the bold flavor of beef, but isn't so strong that it overpowers pork or poultry.

Which Bitter is best for Old Fashioned? ›

Angostura Aromatic Bitters

This reddish-brown bitters provides a fragrant bouquet of fruits and spices, and it's an essential ingredient for any classic Old Fashioned.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terence Hammes MD

Last Updated:

Views: 5831

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terence Hammes MD

Birthday: 1992-04-11

Address: Suite 408 9446 Mercy Mews, West Roxie, CT 04904

Phone: +50312511349175

Job: Product Consulting Liaison

Hobby: Jogging, Motor sports, Nordic skating, Jigsaw puzzles, Bird watching, Nordic skating, Sculpting

Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.