What Booze Goes Best With Smoked Ice?

blasting

I'm making some hickory smoked ice cubes out of some cold smoked water.  I was going to make the the 2" square cubes, but the aroma was strong enough to make me go with standard cubes.  The water made my kitchen smell terrific.

So my question is, what kind of booze would be best suited to this?  I'm a Crown Royal on the rocks guy, but I'm wondering if something like Bourbon or Scotch would be better suited.  

theyolksonyou

I'm more of a blended whiskey guy, but I'd think something smokey like bourbon. 

pgprescott

I would say a bourbon or a peaty scotch. Maybe a laphraoig  or something from that region, Isle of Islay. The charred wood barrels the bourbon would pair nicely. Laphraoig gets their barrels from Makers Mark after they have been used. 

blasting

@pgprescott   Thanks, I appreciate the specifics.  I looked Laphraoig up, it looks pretty costly.  Any suggestions for something respectable at the Crown Royal level?

YukonRon

Scotch, earthy and smooth. Any of that variety that needs just a splash of water to open up....Talisker 10 year old, about 45.00

CanadianAnvil

I would try it out with the crown. See what it adds to it and go from there. 

pgprescott

blasting said:

@pgprescott   Thanks, I appreciate the specifics.  I looked Laphraoig up, it looks pretty costly.  Any suggestions for something respectable at the Crown Royal level?

I would prolly go with say JIm Beam Black. Reasonably priced bourbon and IMO the black is worth a few bucks more than the white label. IMO if you get into the single malt scotches you are gonna push up to the fifty bucks and up area. The more reasonably priced bourbons will be better than the lower priced scotch. JB black is fine stuff at a pretty good price I think. 

pgprescott

Hey let us know what you think of the ice. A very cool idea you have here. 

Botch

Was it "mezcal" that is essentially a tequila made with the leaves smoked first?  Lemme do a quick wikipedia peek...
Yup, smoked agave leaves.  It did say the smoky flavor is strong, so maybe it'd overpower your ice cubes (sounds like something fun to experiment with!)

buzd504

If  your ice is smoked, why would you look for a smoky liquor to go with it? 

I agree with @CanadianAnvil above - try a non-smoky liquor you are familiar with to see what the ice adds to it.

yumdinger

Sounds interesting, what about putting it in a Bloody Mary?

blasting

Thanks for the great input everyone.  I will give it a try tonight, and hopefully it will be a hit.  It's one of those things I really want to like!

You're killing me with the bloody mary suggestion @yumdinger.  That sounds to be another great potential flavor profile, but I'm seeing a client in a couple hours.

Phatchris

I'd go with a Bowmore 12.. Round $40 and very good but the smoked ice may put it over the top.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

When i searched for smoked water, an article on Amazing Ribs popped up. Meathead does it in his signature Bloody Mary.

Eggcelsior

I'd say scotch, but I drink all my scotch neat

blasting

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

When i searched for smoked water, an article on Amazing Ribs popped up. Meathead does it in his signature Bloody Mary.

I believe it was your thread that made me want to try it.  You said something about Meathead using it for cocktails.

I didn't read his article though, so I could be going about this all wrong.  Unlike most experiments originating from this forum, this one is cheap / free.

caliking

I would go with bourbon, not scotch.   Try just one smoked cube first and see how you like it. The smoke flavor of the ice mellows a bit after being in the freezer for a while. I would put the ice cubes in a ziplock or a Tupperware when they're ready, otherwise your freezer smells like smoke. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. 

blasting

caliking said:

otherwise your freezer smells like smoke. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. 

No wife in the picture here, just my daughter and I, so no worries about the smoke smell.  I would wear smoke scented deodorant if there was such a thing.  

Maybe I will try to cold smoke some Speedstick next cold smoke. lol

blasting

Morning all.  

I tried the smoked ice and smoked salt in a ceasar, which is the Canadian version of a bloody mary.  (recipe below)  It was terrific and I will definitly be making smoked ice cubes whenever I plan to have ceasars.  Even just the smell when you take a sip is great.

I did buy some bourbon and tried it out as well.  Woodford is what I got since my options were limited at the grocery store I was at.  I liked it, but I'm not normally a bourbon drinker (don't hold that against me).  Ya'll have your likes and dislikes on bourbon - kinda like lump.  Try it yourself and see, but I'll definitely say in the ceasar it was a winner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(cocktail)

pgprescott

blasting said:

Morning all.  

I tried the smoked ice and smoked salt in a ceasar, which is the Canadian version of a bloody mary.  (recipe below)  It was terrific and I will definitly be making smoked ice cubes whenever I plan to have ceasars.  Even just the smell when you take a sip is great.

I did buy some bourbon and tried it out as well.  Woodford is what I got since my options were limited at the grocery store I was at.  I liked it, but I'm not normally a bourbon drinker (don't hold that against me).  Ya'll have your likes and dislikes on bourbon - kinda like lump.  Try it yourself and see, but I'll definitely say in the ceasar it was a winner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(cocktail)

Thanks @blasting. The Bloody Mary idea is a winner. I am sure that if you aren't used to drinking bourbon or scotch it takes some getting used to. (acquired taste)

yumdinger

pgprescott said:

blasting said:

Morning all.  

I tried the smoked ice and smoked salt in a ceasar, which is the Canadian version of a bloody mary.  (recipe below)  It was terrific and I will definitly be making smoked ice cubes whenever I plan to have ceasars.  Even just the smell when you take a sip is great.

I did buy some bourbon and tried it out as well.  Woodford is what I got since my options were limited at the grocery store I was at.  I liked it, but I'm not normally a bourbon drinker (don't hold that against me).  Ya'll have your likes and dislikes on bourbon - kinda like lump.  Try it yourself and see, but I'll definitely say in the ceasar it was a winner.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_(cocktail)

Thanks @blasting. The Bloody Mary idea is a winner. I am sure that if you aren't used to drinking bourbon or scotch it takes some getting used to. (acquired taste)

I think this is the first time any of my ideas have been awarded !! I gotta go smoke some Ice now to see if it really does taste good.  Have my own question though.....Won't I put my lump out?

blasting

@yumdinger

I don't have an award to give like sgh, but the credit for the bloody mary idea is all yours man.  Make sure to try the smoked salt - that stuff will be a new staple for me.

I didn't touch the 1/2 load of lump that was already there - wasn't a factor.  I laid a piece of metal across the top of the firebox the the amazing smoker tray had something flat to sit on.

Ozzie_Isaac

Smoked water?  Is that like Bong water?

cmac610

So @blasting, tell me a little more about the actual process. Did you just cold smoke the water in a pan? Would seem to me that the water wouldn't absorb like meat. I've seen articles about using a smoking gun with a tube in the liquid which seems to make sense. 

I ask because I was thinking about trying to smoke some Vodka for Bloody Mary's. Now just don't know if it makes more sense to do ice cubes or the actual liquor.

yumdinger

I am gonna smoke the Celery.  What about the pickle?.....Wait I am gonna smoke it ALL!! HA! Smoked ice is just over my head.  

blasting

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Smoked water?  Is that like Bong water?

Can't say the thought of that appeals to me.  Besides, who uses bongs anymore?  It's all about the vape, bout the vape, bout the vape.

Skiddymarker

Must try the smoked cubes, I've used celery salt cut with alder smoked salt to rim the glass of extra spicy Ceasars, thanks for the idea of taking it up a step with the smoked cubes.

BTW - tried the Northern blend of Crown? The whiskey bible guy ranked it #1 in the world. (suggest you serve it neat. 

blasting

cmac610 said:

So @blasting, tell me a little more about the actual process. Did you just cold smoke the water in a pan? Would seem to me that the water wouldn't absorb like meat. I've seen articles about using a smoking gun with a tube in the liquid which seems to make sense. 

I ask because I was thinking about trying to smoke some Vodka for Bloody Mary's. Now just don't know if it makes more sense to do ice cubes or the actual liquor.

The water actually absorbed very well - I wouldn't have thought so either.  As far as the process, I just emptied a couple iced cube trays into a cookie sheet and that went the level below the cheese.  Between the smoked salt and the smoked ice cubes there is no worries about not having enough smoke.

blasting

Skiddymarker said:

BTW - tried the Northern blend of Crown? The whiskey bible guy ranked it #1 in the world. (suggest you serve it neat. 

Northern blend?  Is that a lot different from the standard crown sold down here?  I've tried other whiskey's, but Crown is "home" for me.

Skiddymarker

It is new, only had a couple of bottles. Sells for <$30CDN so should be a good buy in the US. 
https://www.crownroyal.com/canadian-whisky/crown-royal-northern-harvest-rye/

http://www.theprovince.com/life/whisky+bible+says+manitoba+spirit+best+world+puts+into+canadian/11533754/story.html

I'm a Forty Creek "neat" guy, and it consistently comes in ahead of regular Crown, but this Northern Rye may just make me a Gimli guy.