Old Colonel’s Smoking Gun Recipe

Smoke the glass

Choose a rocks glass and pre-smoke it. Light a small pinch (about 1–2 teaspoons) of wood chips in a smoking gun or on foil until smoldering. Capture the smoke in the glass using the gun, inverted tray, or press a coaster over the rim to trap smoke. Set smoked glass aside right-side-up and keep it covered briefly while you build the cocktail (about 30–60 seconds).

Alternate quick smoke

If you don’t have a smoking gun, place wood chips in a small metal bowl, ignite briefly until they smolder, then place the glass upside down over the bowl to trap smoke for about 30–45 seconds. Remove and set aside covered until ready to serve.

Add the Buffalo Trace Bourbon (2 oz), Woodford Dark Cherry Liqueur (0.5 oz), and dark brown sugar & maple infused syrup (0.5 oz) into a mixing glass.

Add Angostura bitters (3 dashes) and black walnut bitters (2 dashes) to the mixing glass.

Fill the mixing glass with plenty of ice and stir gently for 20–30 seconds until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted (target 15–20% dilution). Stirring ensures clarity and smooth texture.

While stirring, remove the cover from the smoked glass so a light veil of smoke remains inside.

Place a large ice cube in the smoked glass and strain the stirred cocktail over the single large ice cube.

Express & Garnish

Take the orange peel and hold it over the glass, skin side down. Give it a firm squeeze to express oils across the surface of the drink, then run the peel around the rim. Drop the peel into the glass as garnish.

Serve immediately while the glass retains the smoky aroma. Advise the guest to take a moment to inhale the smoke before sipping to appreciate the aroma interplay with the bourbon, cherry, maple and walnut notes.