The post Best Whiskey Smoker Kit For Cocktails in 2023 appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>Why Use A Whiskey Smoking Kit?
Why should you use a cocktail smoking kit on your drinks? Is it all just gimmick? Not entirely! Sure, it can come across as a bit hokey (especially as a heavy trend in recent years). As a bartender or cocktail bar owner, that might be okay sometimes. “I’ll have one of those” is always a nice thing to head (and you might be able to charge a premium for that smoke).
But smoking whiskey and cocktails can improve the entire imbibing experience, if done correctly. The immersive aromas of smoke can add an extra sensory layer to a cocktail, creating a very unique, memorable experience. Smoke can also enhance the flavor profile of a drink. Like rimming a glass with a lemon slice, garnishing with mint, or spritzing with saline or absinthe, smoke can add some character to a drink and help draw out nuances of flavor. Just think of smoke as an extra garnish or ingredient to a cocktail.
Modern smoking kits are easy to use, too, so you don’t have to worry about too much prep or hassle. Even new bartenders can break out a cool party trick to make a showy Manhattan or spicy Margarita.
Types of Cocktail Smokers
There are two main kinds of cocktail smokers to choose from when you’re shopping for the best whiskey smoker kit. The oldest, maybe most traditional method of smoking drinks is using a chamber or cloche. In this type of smoker, you fix your drink in the glass of your choice, and surround the entire glass in some kind of chamber. Also in that chamber with your glass are smoldering wood chips that create the smoke. Depending on the size of your smoking cloche, you might be able to do two or three drinks at a time. These can also have a fancy presentation and a more “professional” feel to them, but they are also bulky and take up precious space on your bar. You can be guaranteed, though, that they will work with almost any whiskey glass.
Alternatively, glass-top smoking kits allow you to cover your prepared beverage with a small topper. The wood chips sit on top, and the smoke infuses downward into your cocktail or whiskey glass. These are typically the most common these days, especially for home bartenders, as they are smaller and can be easier to work with. It also typically requires less smoke to get the desired effect on your drink.
There is also a newer concept called “Smoke Rinsing”, where you turn a carafe upside down on a smoking object (like a snuffed flame, woodchip, or pellet), and let the carafe fill with smoke. Then you add your cocktail ingredients to the carafe, cap it, and swirl the mixture around to soak up all that smoke.
The Best Cocktail Smoking Kits
As a trendy new bar tool, there are lots of cocktail smoking kits floating around the markets these days. Which one is right for you and your bar will depend on a few details, like the volume of drinks you’re making, frequency of use, level of professionalism, and budget. We’ve rated a few of them below. Note: we may get a kickback for these recommendations, but we promise they’re honest.
Best Overall Whiskey Smoking Kit
When considering all factors (weighted towards home bartenders), considering design, ease of use, and price, we like the Alchemi Single-Serve Smoked Cocktail Kit from Viski. This 5-piece, top-down smoker kit contains everything you need to make a great smoked cocktail, including the smoking topper itself, a butane hand-torch, fine mesh strainer, wood chips, and even a 14oz cocktail glass.
This kit won’t take up much space on your bar, but will reliably make a consistent smoked cocktail whenever you want one.
Upgrade Pick: Cocktail Smoker Kit
If you like the look of the Alchemi Single Serve Cocktail Kit above, but want to up your game a little, bit, consider going the “Smoke Rinse” method with this upgraded kit from Alchemi. The Alchemi Smoked Cocktail Kit for Smoke Rinsing uses pellets to fill a carafe with smoke. When you add your cocktail ingredients, you swirl them around in the smoke for a “rinsed” infusion. The carafe option also lets you smoke a small “batch” of cocktails at once (2-3 drinks).
This kit comes with a smoking stand, carafe, pellets, and a recipe book.
Best Budget Whiskey Smoker Kit
If you’re on a bit more of a budget, you can find cocktail smoker kits all over the internet that will get the job done. Amazon is full of them. You might find that a good introduction to cocktail smoking comes with one of these kits from Taigin that have several types of wood chips you can experiment with.
*at time of posting
Personalized Whiskey Smoking Kits
If you’re looking for something to give as a gift or provide an extra bit of class or sophistication (depending on your definition of that), you might be interested in a personalized kit. Home Wet Bar offers deluge of great personalized smoking kits. Some of their kits come with glassware or decanters. Or you can just get the wood from your whiskey smoker kit stamped. These kits all work really well, but not any better than our top pick. For these, you’ll pay a premium for the personalization.
Best Smoking Kit For Cocktails
Ultimately, any of these kits are going to get the job done, and you can’t go wrong no matter which you buy. There are a lot of “home-brewed” solutions out there as well, so if you’re into the DIY thing, you could always give that a go. Otherwise, consider picking up one of these smoking kits. They’ll make a great addition to your home bartending hobby, or a great gift for a whiskey enthusiast.
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]]>The post Amazon Prime Day Deals for your Home Bar appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>Having said that, if there are things you’ve been wanting for a while but have hesitated to dish out for (maybe because you’re saving for some BTAC or Pappy), Amazon Prime Day could be a good time to finally make that purchase and save a few bucks.
I’ve scoured some of the Amazon Prime Day deals for whiskey and bourbon related products that may enhance your home bar. Here are a few of the more compelling deals, if you’re in the market for something like this. It could also be a good time to think about holiday gifts.
Whiskey Themed Amazon Prime Day Deals
Gootus Whiskey Glasses, Set of 2
$28.72 (37% off)
These double-walled, hand blown glasses are reminiscent of the Norlan glass. They are pretty popular these days and offer a lot of interesting features. Built for ergonomics and aroma, they’d make a good Christmas gift for a friend, or a complement to your current Glencairn collection. They are marked at 37% off right now, but I think that might be a little inflated. Still a good deal. Check it out.
Boston Bottles and Funnel Set
$12.39 (20% off)
I’ll be totally honest. I have too many of these, and it’s because I love them. My bourbon friends and I, locally and abroad, love to share samples of our nicer whiskey. It’s a great way to do mystery tastings and share the experience, especially during times of Coronavirus solitude. This set a good price, prime deal or not.
Zulay Silicone Craft Ice Mold
$7.19 (20% Off)
There’s no wrong way to drink whiskey. If you prefer yours over ice… go for it. These silicon craft ice molds are great for chilled whiskey or craft cocktails, and this set will make cubs and spheres. Easy buy for yourself. Get ’em while they’re on Prime Day Deals.
JoyJolt Crystal Rocks Glasses (Set of 2)
$11.21 (75% Off)
If you’re going with the ice molds, these are a great complementary pair of rocks glasses. I think the savings Amazon indicates (75%) is definitely inflated, but these are still crystal bourbon glasses at a great price. Order while they are on sale.
Paksh Capitol Glass Whiskey Decanter
$15.99 (60% Off)
Every good home bar needs a nice whiskey decanter. Whether you want something fancy to pour your favorite whiskey from, or a nice container to create your own blends or infinity bottles. This glass decanter from Paksh is lead free and it won’t break the bank. Solid offer, buy it now.
Kollea Stainless Steel Whiskey Stones
$14.39 (20% Off)
Whiskey Stones aren’t my thing, but they might be yours. These stainless steel “ice cubes” can help chill your whiskey without watering it down. Some people prefer to drink their higher proof whiskeys this way… more power to you! Now’s a great time to try them out if it’s something you’ve been considering. Read more on Amazon.
There are a lot more great deals out there. So if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber then take some time to shop around. Just don’t get roped into the scams, and only buy something you actually want/need. You can find all the whiskey related deals here.
Do you have anything on your wishlist? Let us know in the comments!
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]]>The post Whiskey and Bourbon Glasses | Best Whiskey Glass appeared first on NC Whiskey.
]]>We’ve talked in depth about how to pour whiskey without spilling, but what are you pouring it into? If you’re spending a lot of money on bourbon, you’ll want to get the most from it by accentuating the aromas and taste.
Why Is A Whiskey Glass Important?
So you have a couple rocks glasses laying around. This might be fine if you prefer your whiskey over ice. The chill and melt can cut some of the sharpness of a high-proof bourbon and make it easier, and maybe more refreshing to drink.
But if you want to really pull out the flavor and complexity of your bourbon or scotch, it’s imperative to use an appropriate glass. Some of the ethanol bite of a strong whiskey can be cut simply by funneling the better aromas to your nose as you sniff and taste your whiskey. You may find that over time you can (and probably should) ditch the ice.
The Best Whiskey Glasses
Our Recommendation: The Glencairn Glass
While “best” might be a superlative that comes loaded with opinions, no conversation about whiskey nosing glasses can be taken seriously without discussing the Glencairn. This is the most classic of whiskey nosing glass, originally developed for Scotch but celebrated around the world for bourbon, Canadian, and Japanese whiskeys alike. Every good home whiskey bar should have a few of these Glencairn glasses available.
Glencairn glasses are the perfect shape for nosing whiskey, and they make sure you can absorb all the vanilla, caramel, cherry, and oak spice notes from your favorite bourbons. These are often the glass of choice for whiskey competitions and spirit reviewers. On top of all that, a single, standard Glencairn costs only about $6-$7. You can also spend a little more to get them in crystal, cut glass, or engraved versions. You can shop various Glencairns on Amazon.
Kentucky Bourbon Trail Whiskey Glasses
Newer on the scene is the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Whiskey Glass. You’ll notice a lot of similarities to the Glencairn, but the wider body of these glasses allows for more evaporation surface area and a potentially stronger aroma. These glasses are made in the USA and designed to be the official tasting glass of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Most of the distilleries out there are moving in this direction, at least for their tasting rooms. It’s heavy and feels strong in your hand, and will give you an enjoyable swirl of your whiskey. This isn’t just for bourbon, though. Try tasting scotch, tequila, or rum with these glasses as well!
Norlan Whiskey Glasses
For a more modern design, look no further than the Norlan Whiskey Glass. Unique inner protrusions claim to reduce ethanol burn to help highlight the more flavorful notes of your whiskey. The rim is shaped just right to fit your lip for comfortable, mess-free sipping. Norlan Whiskey Glasses are billed as light-weight, and that’s definitely true. They are slightly less fragile, but you can barely feel the glass in your hand. Some whiskey enthusiasts enjoy the minimalism of the Norlan glass, but plenty of reviewers wish it were heavier. Either way, it’s a sleek design that looks good on the shelf and makes for a nice travel whiskey sipper.
Conclusion: The Best Whiskey Glass
Our humble recommendation for best whiskey glass remains the classic Glencairn. We love the wide full body of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail glass, but the Glencairn will always be in style and is most versatile across different spirits. We also like that there are so many different options and price points to shop at — a Glencairn for every occassion.
What’s your favorite whiskey glass? Any unique tasting options we should add to the list? Let us know if the comments!
The post Whiskey and Bourbon Glasses | Best Whiskey Glass appeared first on NC Whiskey.
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