Where there’s smoke, there’s a craft cocktail — 5 places to find one in Charlotte.
If you enjoy craft cocktails, then you have likely seen or had a smoked cocktail.
But, what are they all about? Sure they look cool, but is the smoke actually enhancing your drink experience?
Or is it just for the visual presentation?
“With the smoking of a cocktail, you’re adding now an essence of another flavor profile to it,” Yashira Mejia, a Charlotte-based mixologist, told CharlotteFive.
“As we eat and drink, we’re using all of our senses. So, aesthetically it’s pleasing and a wow factor, and that’s why it’s becoming a trend.”
There are various methods used with smoking cocktails and different levels of smokiness.
Mejia said some bourbons already have a certain smoky quality, so there’s no need to do anything additional. For other spirits, you can directly add smoke flavoring with wood chips, cinnamon and even herbs by placing the cocktail in a closed vessel and allowing the smoke to penetrate.
You can also smoke the fruits or other ingredients being used. But it’s all about finding the right balance so that you don’t make the taste overbearing.
“Like any other spirit by itself, you might smell different notes from what you actually taste. So, when you smoke a cocktail, inhale, and then drink it, it heightens the experience of the cocktail overall,” Mejia said
If this has intrigued you to try a smoked cocktail, here are seven local businesses that offer them on their menus.
(1) Dot Dot Dot
4237 Park Road B
.jpg "Dot Dot Dot Photos 2018-Nov (8 of 139).jpg")
What: The Hot Box - Knob Creek Personal Selection bourbon, Islay Scotch, sweet vermouth, Hellfire Bitters and pecan smoke, served over ice.
Cost: $18
(2) KiKi Bistronome
1500 A Central Ave.
What: Umozoi no Sakura - Nori-oil washed Toki Japanese whisky, yuzu and shoyu, honey, ginger-wasabi granita and birch smoke.
Cost: $16
(3) Link and Pin
155 New Bern St.
What: Fireside Chat - Old Forester Rye, Becherovka, Amaro Averna, Punt e Mes vermouth, mole bitters and fresh orange.
Cost: $15
(4)The Artisan’s Palate
1218-A E. 36th St.
What: Paratrooper - housemade fig bourbon, rosemary simple syrup, bitters and smoked rosemary.
Cost: $15
(5) The Imperial
300 N. College St. Suite 101
What: The Imperial Old Fashioned - Dickel Rye, Agave simple and orange peel with an infused ice sphere, then hickory smoked.
Cost: $12
(6) Zeppelin
235 W. Tremont Ave.
What: The Uncle Eddy — pork belly fat-washed bourbon, apple oleo, tiki bitters, king cube, cold smoked.
Cost: $17
(7) Volo Ristorante
1039 Providence Road
What: Bacon-infused Smoked Old Fashioned- Barrel-aged Dickel Rye whisky infused with bacon, bitters, sugar, and club soda.
Cost: $14
