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Few experiences are as satisfying as smoke billowing from an auburn-colored cocktail, with each sip filled with more smokey goodness than the last. Cocktail enthusiasts know there's no need to visit an upscale watering hole for a sight like this. You can easily recreate it at home — so long as you have the right cocktail smoker.

Smoke has the power to add texture and depth to any drink, especially those of the whiskey variety. When paying attention to the woodchip flavor and style used, you can easily heighten an existing flavor or add a unique note it would not have had otherwise. On the surface, it's also a great way to build anticipation or impress friends and family at your next dinner party. It helps that people have appreciated smoke in food and drink for thousands of years. But before smoking guns, adding smokey flavor to cocktails would only be feasible via a smokey spirit like mezcal or Islay scotch — so having the right cocktail smoker at home is a game changer now.

From smoking guns to all-inclusive sets, we tapped more than a dozen pros to determine which cocktail smokers are worth investing in. The Smoking Gun by Breville is a top choice overall, trusted by chefs and bartenders alike. Read on for all of our best options.

Pros: This cocktail smoker produces cold smoke, allowing you to infuse smokey flavors on everything from cocktails to ice cream to meat.

Cons: It does not include additional accessories like a smoking cloche.

There's a reason why every chef we interviewed named the Smoking Gun by Breville as one of their all-time favorite cocktail smokers, especially for home use. This durable and reliable kitchen tool — which works for both food and drink — makes at-home smoking an effortless activity. It's easy to use and even easier to clean, giving anyone from pro home chefs to amateur cooks the option to elevate at-home dining.

As a flexible, hand-held device, the Smoking Gun produces cold smoke, which is gentle on foods — which means you can infuse smokehouse flavors on everything from cocktails to ice cream to meat. Dual speed controls allow transition from light to intense smoke, and a large removable burn chamber offers quick access to wood chips. Beyond the wood, this smoking tool lends itself to experimentation with other fuel sources, such as teas, herbs, spices, and even dried flowers.

Pros: This cocktail smoker doesn't require additional fuel — it burns the wood of the chimney itself.

Cons: You're limited to smoking cocktails with the included glass and chimney.

Compared to the other cocktail smokers recommended by our pros, the Craft Cocktail Smoking Chimney undoubtedly offers the most bang for your buck. The kit includes everything you need to correctly smoke a cocktail at home: a butane torch, a cocktail smoking chimney, and a 12-ounce glass.

The Smoking Chimney is also the only cocktail smoker on the market that doesn't require additional fuel — this patent-pending technology burns the wood of the chimney itself to infuse into your cocktail. You can purchase Crafty Cocktails' cocktail-infusing powders to test out other wood flavors, too.

Also available at Sur La Table.

Pros: As a set, it includes everything you need to smoke food and drink in no time.

Cons: This pick is among the most expensive.

The Crafthouse By Fortessa Glass Smoking Cloche is a great option for a luxurious cocktail smoker. With a classic design, ease of use, and pro-level functionality, this tool can infuse all types of smokey flavors into whatever you choose — which is why it's a great device to get creative and move beyond wood chips to herbs and spices.

Like the Breville, it can smoke much more than your favorite cocktail. Equipped with a handheld smoker, smoking chips, a glass cloche, and a Walnut wood base, you'll have everything you need to not only smoke food and drink but also create a memorable presentation for family and friends.

Pros: This kit is a less expensive alternative to the Crafthouse By Fortessa, offering many of the same benefits.

Cons: Be wary of the glass dome — it's delicate.

For an all-in-one experience with little prep time, the Foghat Cocktail Smoking Cloche Set is the way to go. Perfect as a gift for your cocktail-obsessed friend, this kit goes beyond the smoking gun and provides everything, including the cloche, whiskey barrel oak smoking fuel, and a handmade charcuterie board.

The included smoking fuel is made from aged bourbon barrels, featuring a traditional oak flavor with notes of caramel, autumnal spices, honey, and vanilla — a flavorful complement when creating whiskey, bourbon, or scotch cocktails at home. Plus, given the board's generous size, you can easily smoke a cocktail and your favorite meats and cheeses.

Pros: The Smoking Gun Pro is for anyone ready to take cocktail smoking to the next level.

Cons: Like the original Smoking Gun by Breville, this tool only includes the smoker — no additional accessories.

When you're ready to graduate from the Smoking Gun by Breville, the Pro version is exactly what you need. Designed for professionals and commercial kitchens, this cocktail smoker is the perfect marriage of ergonomic simplicity and high-performance durability.

This ultra-reliable tool is portable, easy to handle, and includes a larger burn chamber, which is useful when creating cocktails for more than just you or a few friends. The nozzle extender hose allows users to apply smoke to a glass, bottle, or anything else you would want to integrate smoke into. It also comes apart easily — so it's simple to clean.

Across the board, Breville cocktail smokers — including the traditional and pro versions — are a top choice among bartenders for restaurant and home use. Though they're not as showy as some of the other picks, Breville is the kind of workhorse gadget that'll get the job done time and time again.

Anytime sweetness, fat, spice, or salt are in the mix, there is likely an opportunity to incorporate smoke. All it takes is a bit of experimentation. However, traditionally speaking, Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Bloody Marys are some of the most popular cocktails you may encounter smoked at your local bar.

There is no limit to adding smoke to cocktails. But as with anything, ask yourself why. How does it change the flavor and complexity of the cocktail? The best practice is to use your smoker only if it can add flavor and depth to your cocktail.

Depending on how often you use your smoker, remember that maintenance is key. Change out the filter on a regular basis to ensure you get the purest smoke possible.

After extensively researching this topic, we consulted more than a dozen bartenders to get their take on the cocktail smokers available today. We read hundreds of reviews, compared their responses, and weighed the information against the factors above.

Using a cocktail smoker is simple. Depending on the tool you choose, most involve placing wood chips, herbs, or spices into the chamber, setting the cocktail or food within a glass dome, and delicately smoking to infuse just enough flavor.

Remember to choose wood chips that won't negatively influence the balanced flavor of the cocktail. In other words, your goal should be to pick a wood that will complement your creation, giving it enough smoke to add another layer of flavor and aroma without accidentally making your cocktail taste like a barbeque pit.

It's the same as cooking —barbecuing meat on charcoal or smoking salmon adds another layer of depth to food. The scent of wood or the smell of smoke is added as flavor to certain cocktails, as aroma plays a huge role in how we taste.

Adding smoke on top of a drink can accentuate bold or bitter flavors but can also easily overwhelm more delicate components of a drink. As with most cocktail innovations, less is more. Adding smoke to cocktails is fun and interactive, but not everyone loves the flavor. Make one drink, then let your tastebuds be your guide.

Whiskey and smoke have always gone hand in hand, so any classic whiskey drink is a good candidate. Agave spirits will work as well, so a smoked tequila Old Fashioned is a crowd favorite too.

Clarissa Buch Zilberman is an acclaimed food writer with nearly a decade of experience. She tapped more than a dozen bartenders and experts to get their input on the best cocktail smokers, including Nicholas Lappen, Michael Neff, Kursten Berry, Eamon Rockey, Shigefumi Kabashima, Amir Babayoff, Gary Wallach, Bobby DeMars, Ivan Papic, Maxwell Reis, David Porcaro II, and Marshall Minaya.

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