Cocktail Smoking with Wood Chips

Simple instructions for smoking a cocktail or wine glass

How-To Smoke a Glass

Smoking a cocktail glass is super simple, grab your jar of wood chips, remove the included screen, get a lighter or matches, and find a non-flammable surface like a porcelan plate.

  1. Place the screen bowl, open side up, on a non-flammable surface.
    2. Stop!
    Seriously, you are using fire, be smart and make sure the surface won't catch on fire, use a porcelan plate, piece of slate, aluminum foil, just be sure that it's non-flammable.
  2. Put a pinch or two of wood chips into the screen.
  3. Using a lighter or matches, light the wood chips on fire.
    4. See a Flame
    You will want to light the wood chips so that you see a flame engulfing all the wood chips, may take a few seconds with the lighter or match to get them properly burning.
  4. While the chips are burning, hold your glass upside down about 2 inches above the flame and gently lower the glass over the screen down onto your surface, allowing the smoke to be trapped inside the glass.
  5. Leave the glass covering the smoldering chips until all the embers are gone and the smoke has filled your glass.
  6. Prepare your cocktail while the glass is filling with smoke.
  7. Gently lift your glass and turn it up, aromatic smoke will be released, creating both a visual drama and flavor enhancement.
  8. As the smoke is leaving your glass, immediately pour your cocktail (or wine) into the glass.
  9. Repeat the process for each cocktail you wish to smoke.

The key is timing - you want to pour the drink while the smoky aroma is still concentrated in the glass for maximum impact.