Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em: Tips on How to Add Smoke to Cocktails

The martini is a beloved cocktail, but it's hard to order one like you know what you're doing. That's because it is a drink that can come in so many forms, and everyone has their own preference for what they like best. There is more than one way to make a martini, and crafting a martini the "proper" way is a subject of debate. Does a martini have to employ gin or vodka? Will the Martini Police pop up out of nowhere if you use vodka instead of gin?

The truth is, neither is wrong. Shocking, right? We know you have a lot of questions, so we spoke with former master mixologist of Beam Suntory, Bobby Gleason, to find out the origins of the vodka martini — a popular twist to the gin martini. And later on, we’re going to learn how to make the best vodka martini in the whole galaxy. Trust us, it's one of the easiest cocktails to master and is perfect for those who want to enjoy a refreshing vodka-based martini without the botanical flavors of gin.
Classic vodka martini recipe

Many of the drinks that are still beloved in bars today are cocktails from the Prohibition Era, when bars went underground and got creative with the ingredients they had available to make drinks that were tasty and innovative. That was a challenge when many of the spirits available were of dubious quality at best, but it created delicious combinations like the Bee's Knees cocktail, an easy-to-enjoy gin classic.

Now, the mix of citrus and honey sweetness acts as a good introduction for people who have only previously said, "I don't like gin." (If you are one of those people, we'd like to take this opportunity to convince you otherwise ... we're not in bathtub gin territory anymore.) The floral and citrus notes in the gin blend with the other ingredients for an easy-to-drink cocktail that now allows the craft gin to come through without being hidden away.

In the canon of classic cocktails, you'll find plenty of well-known drinks, like the Negroni or the Old Fashioned. But you'll also find some lesser-known drinks that are beloved by cocktail enthusiasts but not widely enjoyed by the general public. Included in this category is the Aviation cocktail, a drink known as much for its gorgeous sky blue or pale violet color as for its delicate floral flavor.
The Aviation cocktail recipe

What you’ll need to make the Aviation