Bar Tools

Cocktail Smoker

A handheld cocktail smoker is a small battery-powered device that burns a pinch of wood chips and blows the cooled smoke through a hose into a glass or under a cover. The smoke reaches the glass cool, so the drink picks up its smell without warming, and it suits stirred, spirit-led drinks: an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, a Boulevardier. It is lit with a flame, so open a window and keep the flame away from open spirit.

See all bar equipment

The tool

About the Cocktail Smoker

Cool Smoke, No Heat

A pinch of wood chips sits on a mesh screen in a small chamber. You light it, a fan draws air through, and the smoke travels down a hose.

It cools as it travels. The drink takes on the smell without warming up, so a smoker can be used on an ice-cold stirred drink.

Light It Away From Spirit

The chamber is lit with a lighter or a match, and spirit gives off vapour that can catch. Light the chips away from open bottles and poured drinks, and point the hose into the glass only once the flame has died down to smoke.

Use it in a well-ventilated room, keep it on a hard surface away from soft furnishings and children, and never leave it lit. Let the chamber cool completely before you tip the ash into a metal or ceramic dish.

Food-Grade Wood Chips Only

Use fine chips sold for food smoking. Oak suits whisky and aged rum, and apple and cherry are lighter.

Never use treated, painted or resinous wood, workshop sawdust or barbecue chunks. They burn badly and give harsh, acrid smoke.

Ways to bring smoke to a drink

Smoked empty glass

What it does: Scents the glass before pouring
Strength: Light
Notes: The easiest start

Smoke under a cover

What it does: Holds smoke over the finished drink
Strength: Stronger
Notes: Ten to fifteen seconds is plenty

Smoky spirit in the recipe

What it does: Smoke in the liquid itself
Strength: Set by the bottle
Notes: Peated whisky or mezcal; no flame

Atomiser of peated whisky

What it does: A trace of smoke on the nose
Strength: Light
Notes: No flame; two sprays

Method	What it does	Strength	Notes
Smoked empty glass	Scents the glass before pouring	Light	The easiest start
Smoke under a cover	Holds smoke over the finished drink	Stronger	Ten to fifteen seconds is plenty
Smoky spirit in the recipe	Smoke in the liquid itself	Set by the bottle	Peated whisky or mezcal; no flame
Atomiser of peated whisky	A trace of smoke on the nose	Light	No flame; two sprays

A Little Smoke Goes a Long Way

Ten to fifteen seconds of smoke in a covered glass is a strong dose. Let it sit for half a minute, pour the drink, and taste before you serve it. An Old Fashioned or a Manhattan smoked lightly still tastes of itself. For smoke with no flame at all, an atomiser of peated whisky does a gentler job.

Using it

Using the Cocktail Smoker

Usage

Filling an empty glass with smoke before a stirred drink is poured in, or trapping smoke under a cover over a finished drink. Stirred drinks with whisky, aged rum or mezcal suit it most. Use it in a well-ventilated room, away from open bottles and poured spirit.

Pro Tip

Smoke the glass, not the drink, the first few times. A smoked empty glass gives a light scent that fades over the first few sips; smoke held over the liquid for too long dissolves into it and cannot be taken back out.

Professional Tips

Smoke the empty glass, cover it, then pour.
Ten to fifteen seconds of smoke is plenty; start shorter.
Use only fine wood chips sold for food smoking.
Light the chips away from open bottles and poured drinks.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

An entry-level handheld smoker. Cheaper models burn the same chips; they are usually louder and give a less steady flow of smoke.

Premium Option

A heavier smoker with a sturdy stand and a glass cover for trapping smoke over a drink. It looks the part at a table; the smoke itself is the same.

Specifications

Material
Battery-powered fan with a metal burn chamber, a fine mesh screen and a flexible hose
Capacity
A pinch of wood chips per use
Details
Lit at the chamber with a lighter or match; most come with spare screens, some with a cover or cloche

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

How does a cocktail smoker work?

A small fan draws air through a pinch of lit wood chips in a chamber and pushes the smoke down a hose. It cools on the way, so it adds the smell of smoke without heating the drink. A cover over the glass holds it in.

Does smoke change the taste or just the smell?

Mostly the smell, and smell accounts for much of what we call flavour. A smoked glass gives a strong scent while the drink itself changes little. Smoke held over a drink under a cover for longer dissolves into the surface, which is why a short dose is the safer start.

What wood chips should I use?

Fine chips sold for food smoking, such as oak, apple, cherry or hickory, and nothing else. Oak suits whisky and aged rum; fruit woods are lighter. Never use treated or painted wood, softwoods such as pine, workshop sawdust, or barbecue chunks too big for the chamber.

How long should you smoke a cocktail?

Ten to fifteen seconds of smoke into a covered glass is a strong dose. Start shorter, let it sit for half a minute, then pour and taste. Thirty seconds or more usually leaves the drink tasting stale and bitter, and no amount of airing fixes it.

Is it safe to use a cocktail smoker around alcohol?

Only with care. The chips are lit with a flame, and spirit gives off vapour that can catch. Light the chamber away from open bottles and poured drinks, never light it over a glass of spirit, keep the room ventilated, and let the chamber cool before you empty it.

Is a smoking gun the same as a cocktail smoker?

Smoking Gun is a trade mark of one commercial handheld smoker, and the name is often used loosely for the whole type. Handheld cocktail smokers from many makers work the same way: a small fan, a chamber of lit wood chips and a hose.

Can you use a cocktail smoker indoors?

Yes, in a well-ventilated room with a window open or an extractor running. Keep it on a hard, heatproof surface away from curtains and soft furnishings, out of reach of children, and never leave it lit and unattended.

What drinks suit smoke?

Stirred, spirit-led drinks with whisky, aged rum or mezcal in them: the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, the Boulevardier. Bright citrus drinks and delicate ones usually clash with it. Treat smoke as a garnish, and leave most drinks you make unsmoked.

Make something

Made with the Cocktail Smoker

Used In These Cocktails

Boulevardier Old Fashioned Manhattan

Related Equipment

Related Ingredients

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 18 October 2026

Back to Equipment Guide