Bar Guide

How to Use a Cocktail Smoker

How to smoke a cocktail at home with a top-of-glass smoker, a butane torch and a pinch of food-grade wood chips.

The Short Answer

To use a cocktail smoker, load a small pinch of wood chips into the smoker, set it on top of the glass, and aim a butane torch down through the chimney until the glass fills with thick white smoke. Then lift the smoker off and serve the drink right away. With the SmokeTop Cocktail Smoker by Middleton Mixology, the glass fills in about 5 seconds and the whole thing takes about 10 seconds from torch to reveal.

I got into smoked cocktails after a bartender at a really good bar pulled out a giant leaf blower looking device to smoke my drink. Cool idea. It just took away from everything else in the room. When I started smoking cocktails back at my own bar, I hated it, because every method was clunky, took up space and smoked out the bar. So I built one that sits on the glass like a coaster and puts the smoke into the drink instead of into the room. If it takes more than 10 seconds, it is not worth my time.

The mistake I made early on, and the one I still see most, is packing the chimney full of chips. More chips does not mean more smoke. A pinch the size of a cherry burns clean and pushes more smoke into the glass than a heaping load ever will.

Watch: Professional SmokeTop® Technique

See the complete smoking process in action with this quick demonstration of professional cocktail smoking technique.

Tutorial

Duration: 1:23

The same technique our 1,000+ partner bars use behind the bar

Watch: Cocktail Smoking in Action

Watch a step-by-step cocktail smoking demonstration showing the full process from prep to presentation.

Demonstration

Truffles on the Rocks

A craft cocktail smoking walkthrough from start to finish

What You Need

A Cocktail Smoker

The SmokeTop® is a top-of-glass smoker made from American cherry wood. It sits on the rim of a rocks glass or coupe, and its patented two-tier shape channels smoke down into the drink. No batteries, no hoses, no dome.

Essential Tools

• Food-grade cocktail smoking wood chips
• Refillable butane torch lighter
• A rocks glass, coupe or Nick & Nora
• Your cocktail (or a neat pour)

The SmokeTop is lit with a butane torch, which is sold separately. The kit pairs it with a refillable torch and a four-pack of smoking chips, with or without butane.

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How to Use a Cocktail Smoker in 4 Steps

Load a small pinch of wood chips

Drop a small pinch of wood chips into the top of the SmokeTop chimney, roughly the volume of a cherry and just enough to cover the stainless steel mesh screen. Overpacking smothers the burn and less smoke reaches the glass.

Pro tip: Cherry is the easiest place to start. It is mild, a little sweet, and works with most brown spirits.

Set the smoker on the glass

Place the SmokeTop on the rim of a rocks glass, coupe or Nick & Nora. You can smoke the empty glass and pour after, or pour the drink first and smoke on top. Both methods work.

Pro tip: Smoking the empty glass gives a stronger smoke flavor. Smoking on top of the poured drink is lighter and the more common method in recipes.

Torch down through the chimney

Hold a butane torch about 5 inches above the top and aim the flame straight down through the chimney, then slowly lower it to 2 to 3 inches. The force of the flame pushes smoke down into the glass, and the air already inside escapes through the grooves on the underside. The glass fills with thick white smoke in about 5 seconds.

Pro tip: If the flame blows chips out of the chimney, turn the torch down. If the glass takes longer than 5 seconds to fill, turn the torch up.

Lift, pour or garnish, and serve

Lift the SmokeTop off for the reveal, finish the drink, and serve it right away. Tip the burnt chips into a non-flammable container. From torch to reveal the whole process takes about 10 seconds.

Pro tip: Add soda, tonic or sparkling wine after smoking, and salt a rim before you pour.

Smoke the Glass First or the Drink First?

Both. They just give you different drinks. Smoke an empty rocks glass and the oils in the smoke coat the walls, so when you pour, the whole drink picks up more smoke. Pour first and smoke on top, and the smoke settles on the surface of the drink. That is lighter, and it is how most recipes are written.

My favorite is the ice. Build the glass with ice, smoke it, then pour. The smoke coats that outer layer of ice, and as it melts it carries the smoke through the entire drink. That is smoke acting as an ingredient, which was the whole point when I designed the SmokeTop.

A couple of order-of-operations rules hold either way. Anything carbonated, like soda, tonic or sparkling wine, goes in after smoking. Salt or sugar a rim before you pour. For a full walkthrough on one drink, the smoked Old Fashioned recipe is where most people start.

Wood Chips, Tips and Troubleshooting

Wood Selection Guide

Cherry: Mild, fruit forward and sweet. My pick for bourbon and the Old Fashioned.
Apple: Light and forgiving. Great with aged rum, brandy and lower-proof bourbon.
Oak: Neutral and barrel-savvy. A reliable starting point for any bourbon.
Pecan: Nutty and moderate. Rounds out the spice in rye.
Hickory: Bold and savory. Built for high-proof bourbon and full-bodied whiskey.
Tequila, mezcal and gin: Cherry, apple and pecan are the pairings to reach for.

The full chart lives in our wood chip pairing guide.

Quick Success Tips

Start small: A pinch the size of a cherry, just enough to cover the screen.
Aim down: Start the flame about 5 inches above the chimney and lower it to 2 to 3 inches.
Serve right away: The reveal is the moment. Lift the smoker in front of your guest.
Stay safe: Ventilated room, nothing flammable nearby, never leave burning chips unattended.

Troubleshooting

Glass slow to fill? If it takes longer than about 5 seconds, turn the torch up. Check that the chips are dry.

Chips blowing out? The torch is set too high. Turn it down a notch.

Not much smoke? You may have overpacked the chimney. Go back to a single small pinch.

Want it lighter? Pour first and smoke on top, or switch to apple or alder.

How to Add Smoke to a Cocktail Without Bulky Equipment

A top-of-glass smoker is the smallest way to put real smoke in a drink. The SmokeTop takes up about as much space as a coaster, has no moving parts, batteries or hose assemblies, and needs nothing but a butane torch. Real estate on a bar top is valuable, and a home bar has even less of it.

Electric smoking guns work by pushing smoke through a hose into a glass that has to be covered, so you are juggling the gun, the hose and a lid. Domes and boxes need room around the glass. Both have their place. I just never liked what they did to the space around the drink. More on that in cocktail smoker vs. smoking gun.

If you only want the look, dry ice makes a fog that rolls over the rim, but it adds no smoke flavor at all. Here is how real smoke compares to dry ice. And if what you want is smoke you can taste, the chimney takes herbs and spices too, not only wood chips.

Ready to Smoke Your First Cocktail?

The original, patented SmokeTop®. Made in the USA, by bartenders, ready for your home bar. The SmokeTop Cocktail Smoker by Middleton Mixology is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,871,769 and ships to the contiguous US. Browse our cocktail smoker kits to find the right set.

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FAQ

How do you use a cocktail smoker?

Load a small pinch of wood chips into the smoker, set it on the rim of the glass, and aim a butane torch down through the chimney until the glass fills with thick white smoke. Then lift the smoker off and serve. With the SmokeTop Cocktail Smoker by Middleton Mixology the glass fills in about 5 seconds and the whole process takes about 10 seconds from torch to reveal.

What is the purpose of a cocktail smoker?

A cocktail smoker adds real wood smoke to a drink as an ingredient. The smoke carries aromatic oils that coat the glass, the ice and the surface of the drink, which adds aroma and a layer of flavor that a garnish alone cannot. It also gives the drink a visible reveal when the smoker comes off.

Do you smoke the glass before or after pouring the cocktail?

Either works. Smoking the empty glass first lets the smoke oils coat the glass walls, so the drink picks up a stronger smoke flavor when you pour it in. Pouring first and smoking on top puts the smoke on the surface of the drink, which is lighter and the more common method in recipes.

What kind of torch do I need for a cocktail smoker?

A refillable butane torch lighter works best because the force of the flame is what pushes the smoke down into the glass. The SmokeTop is sold on its own or in a kit that pairs it with a refillable butane torch and a four-pack of smoking chips.

How many wood chips should I use?

Use a small pinch, roughly the volume of a cherry, or just enough to cover the mesh screen. Packing the chimney full smothers the burn and actually sends less smoke into the glass.

What drinks can I smoke?

Whiskey drinks like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan are the classic starting point, and a Negroni, Margarita, Whiskey Sour or Espresso Martini all take smoke well. You can also smoke a neat pour of whiskey, a non-alcoholic cocktail, coffee, cheese or ice cream.

What wood chips are best for beginners?

Cherry and apple are the easiest starting points. Cherry is mild and fruit forward and suits bourbon and the Old Fashioned. Apple is light and forgiving, which suits aged rum, brandy and lower-proof whiskey. Oak is a reliable third choice for any bourbon.

Which wood chips go with tequila, mezcal or gin?

Cherry, apple and pecan pair well with tequila, mezcal and other lighter spirits. Alder is another light, clean option for delicate cocktails. Save hickory and mesquite for high-proof bourbon and full-bodied whiskey.

Can I use barbecue wood chips in a cocktail smoker?

Use chips made for cocktail smoking. Middleton Mixology smoking chips are food grade and made for cocktail smoking, in cherry, hickory, maple, oak, apple, alder, cinnamon, mesquite and pecan.

Can I smoke herbs, spices or ingredients other than a finished cocktail?

Yes. Herbs and spices can go in the chimney in place of wood chips, and the SmokeTop works on coffee, cheese, ice cream and meats as well as drinks. Smoking over ice is another option: the smoke coats the outer layer of the ice and carries into the drink as it melts.

Can you add smoke to a cocktail without a smoking gun or bulky equipment?

Yes. A top-of-glass smoker like the SmokeTop sits right on the rim, takes up about as much space as a coaster, and needs only a butane torch, with no batteries, hoses or domes. Dry ice makes a visible fog but adds no smoke flavor.

Is a cocktail smoker safe to use indoors?

Yes, with normal care around an open flame. Use it in a ventilated room, keep the torch away from anything flammable, never leave burning chips unattended, and tip used chips into a non-flammable container. The SmokeTop is made from food-safe materials: American cherry wood, food-grade mineral oil and a stainless steel screen.

Why doesn't my cocktail taste smoky?

Usually the torch is set too low, so the glass never fills with thick smoke. If filling takes longer than about 5 seconds, turn the torch up. For a stronger smoke flavor, smoke the empty glass before you pour, or smoke the ice.

Why are my wood chips blowing out of the smoker?

The torch is set too high. Turn it down a notch and start with the flame about 5 inches above the chimney before lowering it to 2 to 3 inches.

How do I clean a cocktail smoker?

Let it cool, tip the burnt chips into a non-flammable container, and wipe out the chimney with a dry cloth. Keep the cherry wood body out of the dishwasher. When the mesh screen wears out, push a pen or pencil through the bottom to pop it out and press a new screen in firmly until it seats.

How long does a SmokeTop last?

The cherry wood body lasts about 500 uses and each stainless steel mesh screen lasts about 100 uses. Every SmokeTop ships with 5 extra screens, which covers the first 600 uses out of the box.

What makes the SmokeTop different from other cocktail smokers?

The SmokeTop Cocktail Smoker by Middleton Mixology is the original, patented top-of-glass smoker (U.S. Patent No. 11,871,769), made in the USA from American cherry wood. Its two-tier shape channels smoke down into the glass, and grooves on the underside let the air already in the glass escape so smoke keeps flowing in.

Ready to Try?

Browse our curated smoked cocktail recipes with step-by-step instructions.

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