Gandalf’s Smoke Ring

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Cocktail History

The Gandalf’s Smoke Ring is a Novel Nightcaps original cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, as part of a series of The Lord of the Rings recipes made in honor of the release of The Rings of Power, a prequel to the original movie trilogy. As is implied by the name, the recipe was inspired by Gandalf The White and his proclivity for forming rings while smoking his iconic long wooden pipe. As a nod to the character, it involves a smoky whisky and brandy base and pairs them with white tea syrup, earthy tree-flavored bitters, a hint of cinnamon, and pipe tobacco for an additional wow factor.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. I used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac.

Peaty Islay Scotch: This is a type of Scotch whisky made in southern Scotland with spices, alcohol, water, and malt or grain that has been dried with peat fires. I used Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

White Tea Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white tea, white sugar, and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Spruce & Birch Bitters: This is a food product made with spruce, birch, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Apothecary” Spruce & Birch Bitters.

Pipe Tobacco Smoke: This is emitted over the top of the drink to add smoke flavor.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. I used Simply Organic Cinnamon Sticks.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. I used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. I used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.

Smoking Gun: This is used to smoke the glass. I used the Homia Wood Smoking Gun.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Yellow-orange color

• Aroma: Sweet tobacco smoke and spices

• Taste: Spirituous brandy-forward flavor accented with dry earthiness and softened by white tea

• Finish: Woodsy smokiness and Scotch whisky spices

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “I’m not usually one for the smoked Old Fashioned-style cocktails, but the Gandalf’s Smoke Ring was incredible. The tea syrup, bitters, and pipe smoke add such a unique woodsiness when paired with the classic template. I could picture myself sipping it in the mountains of Middle-earth while tasting it for the first time. I think Gandalf was done proud with this drink. It’s certainly my favorite of The Lord of the Rings cocktails that I developed with my former partner and has since become one of the most popular I’ve ever shared for good reason.”

Recipe