Smoke-infused libations add drama to Father’s Day

With Father’s Day less than a month away, I thought it more than fitting to theme this month’s article around cocktails for all of the hardworking dads out there.

The father of my children likes nothing more than to enjoy a good cigar with a crafted cocktail in hand and some time with the guys.

These cocktails share a smokiness that adds a layer of flavor and complexity suited to a masculine style of cocktail. It can be subtle and restrained or in your face, gamy and intense.

We will explore a variety of intensities, on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most smoky and spirit-forward — you’ll feel as though you fell asleep next to the bonfire and everything you’re wearing is permeated with the rich smell of burning kiawe.

Play around with these options and decide which is the best surprise for the father in your life.

SMOKE LEVEL: 1

Tea Chest

This drink is like a play on a highball, with a smoke element in the form of a lapsang souchang tea syrup. Lapsang leaves are smoke-dried over pinewood and make what is often referred to as “smoked tea.” The smoke here, however, is brightened by the use of yuzu. The whiskeys recommended have little to no peat flavor, making the drink more refreshing and very approachable.

• 1/2 ounce lemon juice
• 1/8 ounce yuzu citrus
• 1/2 ounce lapsang souchang syrup (see note)
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces lighter-style Japanese whiskey (such as Suntory Toki or Kikori)
• Club soda

Combine citrus, syrup, bitters and whiskey in highball glass. Fill with ice, top with club soda, stir.

Garnish: Shiso leaf and wide lemon twist

Note: To make syrup, dissolve 1-1/2 cups superfine sugar in 1 cup double-strength brewed tea

SMOKE LEVEL: 2

Smoking Maguey

Of all my cocktails, this one is my dad’s favorite. It’s a fun little delve into opposing flavors of sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and smoky. When you sip it, the layers come through, morphing on your palate and sending you on a taste trip.

Dad enjoys it at Grondin French-Latin Kitchen in downtown Honolulu.

You’ll need to make your own chile de arbol-infused tequila, simply by dropping a whole chili into a bottle. The trick is not to overdo it. If you leave the pepper in the bottle, the liquor will continue to get hotter and hotter. You want a little bit of heat but not so much that it overwhelms the other flavors in the cocktail.

The smoke component comes from mezcal, the smoky big brother to tequila. It can be made from all types of agave (not just blue weber, like tequila), then undergoes an underground “baking” process, similar to being placed in an imu. The result is an earthy, smoky, sometimes gamy spirit that has so much character and funk. Just a whisper of mezcal used to rinse the glass is enough to make the cocktail interesting but not of chimney-smoke status.

• Rinse of mezcal (such as Sombra or El Silencio Espadin)
• 1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water)
• 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1/2 ounce Aperol Aperitivo liqueur
• 1-1/2 ounces chile de arbol-infused tequila (see note)

Rinse bucket glass with mezcal; set aside.

Combine syrup, lime and liquors in mixing glass with ice. Shake and strain over ice into prepared bucket glass.

Garnish: Wide lime twist

Note: To infuse tequila, place 1 whole chile de arbol in bottle of reposado tequila (such as Sauza Hornitos or Patron Reposado); let infuse 24 hours or longer, depending on level of heat desired. Remove pepper.

SMOKE LEVEL: 3

Savory Negroni

One of my all-time favorite aperitifs is a bitter and bracing Negroni. The classic recipe is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. To add a savory, smoky element, the glass is filled with actual smoke. Flavors are bound together by a pinch of sea salt, which goes hand in hand with Campari. The brininess of Castelvetrano olives and the smoke component are great together, as the ultimate way to start an evening.

• 1 ounce London dry gin (such as Beefeater)
• 1 ounce high-quality vermouth rosso (such as Alessio Vermouth di Torino)
• 1 ounce Campari Aperitivo liqueur
• Pinch fleur de sel
• Orange disc

Prepare bucket glass by treating it with a smoke gun or by burning wood chips on a fireproof plate and covering the chips with the glass.

Combine ingredients in mixing glass, with ice. Strain over large ice sphere into smoked glass. Squeeze orange into glass; discard.

Garnish: Castelvetrano olives on bar pick

SMOKE LEVEL: 5

Islay Old-Fashioned

For the dad who will be enjoying a beautiful cigar on June 18, this strong, smoky and slightly sweet drink is the perfect pairing. I use brown sugar for its slightly deeper, richer flavor compared with white, and bitters because they stand up to the machismo of the Islay single malt and help create feng shui in the glass. Take the extra step of buying a mold that makes extra-large ice cubes. It will make a world of difference and make Pops feel truly special.

• 1 cube brown sugar
• 2 dashes anise-heavy bitters (such as Peychauds)
• 3 dashes orange bitters (such as Angostura)
• 2 ounces Islay single-malt scotch (such as Ardbeg 10-year or Laphroaig 10-year)

In mixing glass, soak brown sugar in bitters. Add splash of water and crush sugar cube. Add scotch and ice; stir and strain over large ice cube into bucket glass.

Garnish: Charred orange slice and luxardo cherry on bar pick

Nutritional information unavailable

Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits. Ingredient note: The liquors and liqueurs used in these recipes are widely available from Oahu liquor stores and some supermarkets.