Bar Bites

Smoke in style

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Supplied photo

At $434.95, the Crafthouse by Fortessa Cocktail Smoking Box may seem like a frivolous purchase, especially when you can just follow Matthew Benevoli’s easy tips for smoking cocktails instead. But the fact that this gorgeous, Art Deco-ish gadget was designed by world champion bartender Charles Joly makes us give it a second look. It comprises a sturdy stainless-steel frame, glass sides, walnut base, handheld smoker and easy-to-use door latch, making it as ergonomic as it is stylish. Available at Williams Sonoma.

Home Bar, Recipes

Jupiter Ascending

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Jupiter Ascending. Matthew Benevoli photo

Make this cocktail at home by smoking it in a decanter. 

1 oz Courvoisier or other VSOP Cognac

1 oz Arbutus Distillery Birch Liqueur

0.5 oz medium sherry

1 tsp grapefruit oleo saccharum (see note)

2 drops saline solution (1:5 sea salt to warm water)

Hickory smoke

Garnish: dehydrated orange wheel

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Home Bar

Smokin’

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Fire up fall’s woodsy flavour

There’s more than one way to add the autumnal aroma of smoke to cocktails. We explore your options. Matthew Benevoli photos

Fall has arrived and there’s a chill in the air, so it’s time to trade T-shirts for sweaters and cosy up with a comforting drink. Dark, boozy cocktails offering a warming feeling become our go to, and through smoking we can elevate those drinks and invoke a fireside experience.

There are many ways to smoke cocktails, using ingredients such as woods, herbs and spices, and employing anything from a lighter to culinary torches, wood planks and the handy appliance known as a smoking gun. Smoking might seem intimidating, but with the methods on the next page and some practice, you’ll soon be creating complex flavour layers in every sip. 

Whichever method you choose, practice makes perfect. Have fun experimenting—just mind those fingers!  

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