Smoked cocktails are an exciting new offering at high-end bars. The smoky flavors blend with the tastes of the cocktail to create a sensory-rich experience that is hard to beat.

There are kits available to make your own smoked cocktails, but you can do it yourself at home without any special equipment. You'll need:

• A cocktail or spirit at room temperature. We recommend Boykin Rye Whiskey.
• Hardwood chips. You won't need many, but it's better to use chips made for smoking meats because these are sure to be safer. We like hickory, apple, and cherry, but different drinks will blend better with different woods.
• Lighter or Blowtorch
• A surface that is fire-safe, like aluminum foil
• Mason jar or glass with lid
  Glass with Ice

You'll light the hardwood chips on the fire-safe surface with the lighter or torch. You aren't looking to catch it on fire, but instead, it should smolder and smoke. Once you see wisps forming, cover the chips with the mason jar. After the jar is filled with thick smoke, quickly put the lid on the jar. Next, you'll pour your room-temperature cocktail or spirit into the jar and reseal, then swirl it around. The longer you swirl, the stronger your smoked flavor will be. Lastly, pour the drink and smoke over the ice, then garnish and serve.

There are so many ways to experiment with smoked cocktails. You can use all sorts of cocktail recipes or use the smoke to enhance spirits like whiskey. You can change the type of smoke you use and how long you expose the cocktail to smoke. Adding smoke to your cocktails is sophisticated and earthy. It's a wonderful way to enhance the flavor of a North Carolina distilled liquor, and a smoked cocktail is perfect on a crisp day.