Mixology At Home

Noilly Prat x Wright Brothers martini kit
Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond may have been delayed for the third time, but that’s not stopping us craving a salty, dirty martini, with ‘World Vermouth Day’ as good an excuse as any to enjoy a glass of the shaken, not stirred cocktail. With such a simple cocktail (50/50 vermouth and gin or vodka mix) it's easy to make, but not easy to perfect: for that you need top notch ingredients. Luckily, Vermouth brand Noilly Prat has teamed up with beloved seafood restaurant Wright Brothers to launch its own martini kit, complete with Noilly Prat vermouth, Wright Brothers gin, and of course, a tub of olives from Borough Market to complete the experience. Available for a limited time, snap yours up now. thewrightbrothers.co.uk

Mixology At Home
Mixology At Home
How To Start Mixology

Hide at Home
It is one of the smartest and most talked about bars and restaurants in the capital, opening to much fanfare last year, and now you can have the Hide experience at home courtesy of their delivery cocktails. Whether you’re looking for the pure ease of an expertly crafted, ready-to-pour tipple, like the Pineapple Express (fortified Muscat, pineapple juice cardamom, bayleaf and fino sherry) or the Adam & Eve (Somerset cider brandy 5YO, Diplomatico Mantuano rum, fino, fig leaf, spices, lime and clarified milk), or you’d rather an Aperol Spritz kit, just in time for the orange-hued drinks summer season, you’re in luck, as Hide deliver it all. There's even wine, spirits and of course, their Michelin-star meals on offer (plus nibbles!) too. For Christmas, they are doing a hot gin punch with pineapple and mulling spices - think of it as a chicer alternative to the traditional mulled wine.
hide.co.uk

Orange twist & cocktail cherries for garnish Instructions: Add vermouth, Manhattan rye, bitters, and ample ice into a mixing glass. Stir for 30 seconds to mix and chill. Mixology at Home with Rivulet. Nothing makes the holidays merry and bright quite like the right cocktail. Bring the bar to your home with these deliciously boozy recipes, all made with Rivulet Artisan Pecan Liqueur. The nutty, caramel, and orange citrus flavors with vanilla cinnamon stick spice and butterscotch undertones make it the perfect base for the most jubilant libations and enticing treats this holiday.

The Holy Spirit ‘Stay at Home’ bundle
Talk about social distancing: the residents of Lindisfarne, a beautiful island one mile off the North East coast of England, is cut off by sea from the mainland twice a day. Now, one of its homegrown success-stories, the gin distillery The Holy Island Gin Company, is launching a special ‘Stay at Home’ bundle, to bring its delicious concoctions straight to your door from across the waves. Including a bottle of Holy Island Gin (either the Original or the Sea Pink variety, infused with rose, orange blossom and mixed berries), two bottles of Franklin & Sons tonic water and two slices of dehydrated orange wheels, it’s the perfect set for anyone craving an elevated G&T in lockdown. holyislandgin.co.uk

Craft Rum Club
With warmer weather on the horizon, there has never been a better time to get into rum, a spirit often associated with tropical Caribbean holidays. Not sure where to start? Enter Craft Rum Club, a new subscription service that allows you to order monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly ‘kits’ that arrive straight to your door with everything you could need for a rum cocktail, including the very exciting addition of snacks. What’s more, you’ll also receive a magazine dedicated to the tipple to learn more about it, and become a rum connoisseur yourself. craftrumclub.co

The Cocktail Delivery Company
The Cocktail Delivery Company does exactly what it claims: delivers ready-made cocktails to your door. Mixed expertly by their team of bartenders, the cocktails arrive ready to be served, with all the garnishes for a professional finish. All you need to do is shake and serve on ice. With classics and club signatures like the Plum and Tonic (London dry gin, umeshu plum wine, pink peppercorn syrup and pink peppercorn tonic) and High Society (London dry gin shaken with limoncello, elderflower liqueur, cranberry juice and fresh lemon topped with a lemon peel garnish) to choose from, the servings are all for multiple people, so remember them for post-lockdown too. thecocktaildeliverycompany.co.uk

NIO Cocktails
Missing expertly crafted cocktails made by real-life bartenders? Us too. That’s why we are so happy that NIO (Needs Ice Only) was born, the at-home cocktail delivery that makes Happy Hour an easy, three-step process - no specialist equipment or ingredients required, just ice. Simply pick your poison online - whether that’s a Margarita or a Manhattan - and wait for your box of three, six or nine to arrive. The next steps are simple: get a glass, fill it with ice, and simply tear the corner of your sachet and pour the ready-made cocktail in. Et voila. With unique cocktails made by NIO's head of mixology Patrick Pistolesi, Head Bartender and Founder of Drink Kong which is on the Top 50 Best Bars’ list, the quality is superb. Close your eyes and you could be propping up Claridge’s bar. niococktails.co.uk

Two Keys Mixers x Tequila Enemigo
If you’ve been craving the taste of a margarita in the sunshine, look no further! Sustainable luxury tequila distillery Enemigo and 100% natural mixer brand Two Keys Mixers have teamed up to create the Cocktail Delivery Service. Choose from either lemon or grapefruit (if a Paloma is more your style) and the cocktail kit will be at your door the next day, wherever you are in the country. The instructions couldn’t be easier, just mix 50cl of Enemigo Tequila with your chosen mixer and you’re good to go. Margaritas in the sun? Yes please.
buyenemigo.co.uk

If you've been a fan of fancy restaurant cocktails that come out emitting cool smoke and you're ready for your next at-home hobby, the time is now. Cocktail smoking at home is easier than ever, with one-stop apparatuses of varying price ranges widely available. If you're not familiar with the concept of smoking cocktails but enjoy grilling and learning about the home mixology, settle in, because this will be fun.

What is a cocktail smoker?

'It's a technique that introduces smoky flavors to beverages by way of exposing either the whole cocktail, some of its components or simply the serving glass to cold smoke,' explains Sother Teague, beverage director at New York City's Amor y Amargo. 'Think of how your shirt smells after standing next to the grill at a barbecue. It wasn't exposed to heat from the grill, but it took on the aromas of the smoke, and aroma is 90% of flavor.'

Erin Hayes, director of sales and trade advocacy at Westward Whiskey, is also a fan of cold smoking, as the process is also called, because of how it 'adds layers of flavor, aroma and texture to cocktails.'

How do you 'smoke' a cocktail at home?

Cold smoking a component or a whole cocktail at home is safe and easy and can be done with minimal expense or equipment, explains Teague, probably using things you already have at home. but you do have to have some ingenuity. You need a good lighter, a cookie sheet, a mixing bowl ('preferably glass, so you can view the action') and some wood chips (which if you don't have lying around are easily sourced below).

Here's how:

Prepare whatever you want to smoke (a chilled glass, an entire prepped cocktail, a garnish, etc.).
Place wood chip shavings on cookie sheet.
Light wood chips. (If you're going to be using this rudimentary at-home method, you may want to invest in a good lighter or butane torch, Hayes says.)
Quickly but carefully place item to be smoked next to burning wood chips.
Place glass mixing bowl upside down over the top of the chips and the cocktail or item to be smoked.
After one to two minutes of watching smoke permeate the cocktail, lift bowl, make sure wood chips are extinguished and serve cocktail immediately.

Hayes notes that in lieu of wood chip shavings you can light a stick of cinnamon or a sprig of rosemary (anything with a woody base, really, Hayes says) — both of which you probably have on hand and which smoke easily and impart a lovely aroma to whatever you're smoking.

What about an all-in-one cocktail smoker device?

If the process above is a little too DIY, leveling up to an at-home apparatus is an easy next step that doesn't have to be super costly. There are simple 'smoking guns' that cost in the range of what a couple of smoked cocktails at a fancy bar might run you, and there are, of course, more advanced options.

Cocktail smokers run in the $25 to $200 range, but, Teague says, 'functionally they're all the same: a chamber much like a tobacco pipe where the wood shavings are housed, a fan that pulls air through the chamber and a small, flexible tube where the smoke emanates from.' Some smoking guns come with a glass dome, also known as a cloche, that attaches to the smoke tube via a spigot — this element isn't necessary but does function as a good stage for the theater of cocktail smoking.

When determining what you want to spend, 'think about what your usage is going to be,' recommends Hayes. 'Is this something you will be using just for yourself or for entertaining large groups? Is this something you want to do every day or only for special occasions? If this is going to be a heavily used appliance it would be worth it to invest in one of the higher-end devices.'

As with many appliances, Teague says, 'the more you spend, the more durable they are.' And if you come to love the smoky flavor of a cocktail, remember that your device can be used to add flavor to food as well. 'Consider cold smoking spinach for a salad, and remember that cold smoke doesn't cook the product, it only infuses flavor.'

Try these (smoked cocktails) at home

Cocktail smoking at home does require caution — children and pets should not be near when using a smoking gun — but once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with more sophisticated concoctions.

Melón

Teague is implementing the flavor with cold smoke in the Melón cocktail he's developing for an upcoming venue. 'We start by cutting cantaloupe into chunks about 1 inch by 1 inch by 1 inch and cold smoking with applewood,' he says. 'We then juice the fruit and add maple syrup. The addition of a smoked pepper liqueur and rich añejo tequila really make it sing — think morning melon with crispy bacon.'

Ingredients:

1/4 ounce smoked cantaloupe syrup
1/2 ounce ancho reyes
1 1/4 ounces Ocho Añejo tequila
Tajín spice
Cantaloupe chunk

Shake the liquids with plenty of ice to chill, aerate and dilute. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with cantaloupe chunk dipped in Tajín.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Cinnamon Smoked Boulevardier

Hayes loves a smoky cinnamon take on a whiskey standard, the Boulevardier. 'The cinnamon smoke is such a nice additional layer of aroma and flavor,' she says.

Ingredients:

1 ounce Westward American Single Malt Whiskey
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 20 seconds to chill and dilute. Strain into double old-fashioned glass with a large cube of ice. Add cinnamon stick pieces to chamber of smoking gun. Place the cocktail and the smoking gun tube into a bell jar. Light the cinnamon and let the smoke fill the bell jar. Let sit for about 10 seconds. Remove bell jar, express orange twist over Boulevardier and enjoy.

Cocktail smoking essentials

Butane Torch Kitchen Blow Lighter ($15.79; amazon.com)

Good for making crème brûlée and other desserts while you're at it.

_________________________________________________________________________

Stonebriar 9-Inch Clear Glass Dome Cloche ($27.49, originally $39.99; amazon.com)

Also just a pretty display for plants or objects, this could be a good starter cloche for an amateur smoker.

_________________________________________________________________________

Homia Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser ($52.11, originally $59.11; amazon.com)

With a smoking gun, various wood chips, a hose and more, this simple kit has everything you need to get started smoking your cocktails and even your food too.

_________________________________________________________________________

Mazonia Portable Infusion Smoker Gun ($19; amazon.com)

A most affordable option, but do note that you'll have to purchase a glass dome separately if you want that, as well as wood chips and a lighting source.

_________________________________________________________________________

Gramercy Kitchen Company Cocktail Smoker ($38.22, originally $59.97; amazon.com)

Another midprice option, this one's also highly portable and comes with wood chips, a handy cleaning brush and a black velvet storage bag to keep your smoking accessories together.

_________________________________________________________________________

Vandue Corporation Wood Smoker ($59.91, originally $130; wayfair.com)

Also battery-operated, this one comes with a detachable glass dome to conveniently cover the item being smoked.

_________________________________________________________________________

Breville The Smoking Gun Wood Smoke Infuser ($99.99; bedbathandbeyond.com)

'The most respected brand and my choice for extensive use, but there are many on the market to explore,' says Teague. Hayes also uses a Breville at home.

_________________________________________________________________________

Mixology At Home

TheCraftyCocktail Dome Cocktail Smoking Kit ($87.99, originally $109.99; etsy.com)

Mixology At Home

Made by hand, this is the ultimate gift for a cocktail lover who wants a fun new toy: It comes with an oak platform, a glass dome, the blowtorch, one pack of smoking chips and a cocktail glass.

_________________________________________________________________________

The Gourmet's Smoking Cloche ($200; uncommongoods.com)

How To Start Mixology

Gourmet indeed. This one's pricier, but is a statement piece. It comes with a walnut stand, the smoking gun and a glass cloche that could live alone as a kitchen stunner.

Hunterfinger527

Mixology At Home

Advertisement

What is a cocktail smoker?

How do you 'smoke' a cocktail at home?

What about an all-in-one cocktail smoker device?

Try these (smoked cocktails) at home

Cocktail smoking essentials

Mixology At Home

Mixology At Home

How To Start Mixology