James Middleton developed the SmokeTop™ concept in 2019 during his bartending career in Seattle. While touring a meticulously crafted bar, he watched a bartender create a smoked Old Fashioned using a massive device that resembled a leaf blower. The drink was exceptional, but the presentation clashed with the bar's elegant atmosphere.

With his background as a firefighter, James understood fire science and smoke behavior intimately. He began experimenting with bamboo skewers at his bar, developing an archaic yet skillful technique that would become the foundation for SmokeTop. He immediately recognized the entertainment value and began designing his first prototype.

James traveled the world, learning international bartending techniques and gaining unique perspectives on the craft. His dream was always to own his own bar, but that journey gave him something more valuable – the insight to create tools that bartenders actually needed. Over five years, he refined and perfected his prototypes, with one guiding principle: only create products he himself would use.