Smoked Cocktails:
Using Your Drum Smoker
As A Bar Tool
High-end bars charge $20 for a smoked old fashioned. Your Pit Barrel makes better ones for pennies, plus smoked ice, smoked salts, and smoked spirits that turn any home into a craft cocktail bar.
Smoked cocktails have become a defining trend in modern bartending, with high-end bars charging $20 or more for a smoked old fashioned. The good news is that you can make better smoked cocktails at home with equipment you may already own. Your drum smoker is not just a BBQ tool. It is one of the most versatile smoking devices for cocktail ingredients, infused spirits, smoked ice, smoked garnishes, and even fully smoked cocktails. Here is how to turn your Pit Barrel Cooker into a serious bar tool.
01 / The SetupWhy Drum Smokers Work For Cocktails
Drum smokers like the Pit Barrel Cooker have several characteristics that make them ideal for cocktail applications. The vertical hanging design and sealed barrel hold smoke evenly throughout the cooker. The 275 to 310 degree cooking temperature works for finished smoking applications, but the cooker can also be run at lower temperatures (using less charcoal) for cold smoking applications. The variety of cooking surfaces (hooks, grate, hanging rods) accommodates everything from ice cubes to glassware to whole pineapples for tropical cocktails.
The Complete Bar Program
02 / The GatewayThe Smoked Old Fashioned
The smoked old fashioned is the most popular smoked cocktail and the best place to start. Build the cocktail in a rocks glass with bourbon or rye, simple syrup, and bitters, then bring it to a Pit Barrel running at low temperature. Place the glass on the grill grate (no ice yet) and close the lid for 60 to 90 seconds. The smoke infuses into the cocktail through the open top of the glass. Remove, add ice, garnish with an orange peel, and serve. The smoke adds depth and complexity that elevates a simple cocktail into something memorable.
03 / The IceSmoked Ice Cubes
Smoked ice is one of the easiest smoked cocktail applications and produces dramatic results. Freeze water in standard ice cube trays, then place the frozen cubes on the Pit Barrel grill grate with the cooker running at the lowest temperature possible. Close the lid and smoke for 15 to 20 minutes. The ice picks up smoke flavor on the surface, and as it slowly melts into a cocktail, it continuously releases smoke flavor throughout the drink. Use smoked ice in old fashioneds, manhattans, whiskey sours, or any spirit-forward cocktail.
04 / The SpiritsSmoking Bourbon, Rye, And Mezcal
Smoking spirits adds smoke depth that transforms ordinary bottles into premium-tasting drinks. Pour the spirit into a wide, shallow container and place it on the Pit Barrel grill grate with the cooker running at the lowest possible temperature. Close the lid and smoke for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on desired smoke intensity. Bourbon, rye, mezcal, and tequila all take smoke beautifully. The smoked spirit can be used immediately or transferred back to a clean bottle for storage. Smoked bourbon in a manhattan tastes like a $25 cocktail from a craft bar.
Not just a BBQ tool. A bar tool.
05 / The SyrupSmoked Simple Syrup, The Secret Weapon
Smoked simple syrup is a secret weapon for cocktail enthusiasts. Combine equal parts sugar and water in a wide, heat-safe container and place it on the Pit Barrel for 1 to 2 hours at medium temperature. The syrup picks up deep smoke flavor that integrates beautifully into cocktails. A bar spoon of smoked simple syrup in a margarita, daiquiri, or whiskey sour transforms the drink. Smoked syrup keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.
06 / The GarnishesSmoked Cherries, Peels, And Pineapple
Smoked garnishes add visual drama and additional flavor layers to cocktails. Maraschino cherries smoke beautifully in 30 minutes at low temperature on the Pit Barrel. Orange slices, lemon peels, and lime wedges all take smoke well in shorter cook times of 10 to 15 minutes. Whole pineapples can be hung from the Pit Barrel hooks for 2 to 3 hours, producing smoked pineapple chunks that make exceptional tropical cocktails. Smoked garnishes elevate basic cocktails into bar-quality presentations.
Run the cooker cool for the bar. Cocktail applications call for lower temperatures than BBQ. Use about half the charcoal you would for a normal cook, and light only a small portion of it in the chimney starter. The cooker will hold in the low 200s or below, ideal for ice, spirits, and delicate ingredients. For the smoked old fashioned specifically, an already-cooling cooker at the end of a BBQ session works perfectly.
07 / The SaltSmoked Salt For Cocktail Rims
Smoked salt is another easy preparation that adds professional-quality detail to cocktails. Spread kosher salt or sea salt on a parchment-lined sheet pan and place on the Pit Barrel grill grate at low temperature for 1 to 2 hours. The salt picks up significant smoke flavor and color. Use smoked salt to rim margaritas, palomas, and other tequila cocktails. Store in an airtight container for months of use.
08 / The AdvantageWhy The Pit Barrel Beats A Smoke Gun
Many bars use handheld smoke guns to add smoke to cocktails at the time of serving. Smoke guns produce a brief puff of smoke that dissipates within seconds, providing surface-level smoke flavor that fades quickly. The Pit Barrel produces deeper, more integrated smoke flavor because the cocktail ingredients have time to genuinely absorb smoke during a longer exposure. Pit Barrel-smoked cocktail ingredients taste like serious craft bartending; smoke gun cocktails taste like a quick trick.
09 / The TakeawayHosting And The One-Cooker Bar
Smoked cocktails are a perfect entertaining concept. Set up the Pit Barrel running at low temperature with smoked ice, smoked spirits, smoked simple syrup, and smoked garnishes prepared in advance. Mix custom cocktails for guests using your smoked ingredients. The drinks taste like high-end bar offerings, the presentation is dramatic, and the conversation around smoked cocktails is unlike anything else hosts can offer. The same cooker that produces award-winning ribs and brisket also produces bar-quality smoked cocktail ingredients. For a single piece of backyard equipment, the range of applications is hard to match.
Turn Your Pit Barrel
Into A Bar Tool.
One cooker. One bar. Real charcoal, real smoke, and the drinks to go with the ribs.
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