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Cocktail History
The Smoke & Ice is a modern cocktail that was created in 2016 by Jessica Gonzalez at Market Street in Rhinebeck, New York. The recipe starts with the familiar Negroni template that calls for a spirit, Campari, and vermouth, but this version uses mezcal in place of gin and also infuses pineapple into the Campari for more flavor and complexity.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. We used Rayu Espadín Mezcal because it has light yet complex smoky taste with notes of tropical fruit. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal.
Pineapple-Infused Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with pineapple, gentian root, rhubarb, citrus, herbs, aromatic plants, fruit, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try pineapple-infused Giffard Non-Alcoholic Bitter Syrup in place of the Campari.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.
Dark Chocolate Shavings: This is candy made with cocoa, sugar, and milk. We used a Divine Dark Chocolate Bar.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We 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. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Smoke & Ice starts with familiar scents of Campari and mezcal and has an initially fruity taste that features herbal orange and pineapple before further evolving to include mezcal’s smoky qualities along with Campari’s bitterness balanced by the semi-sweet vermouth on the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Like many before it, sadly Kendall wasn’t a huge fan of this one’s strong, aggressive bitter and smoky flavors; on the other hand, Alex liked the Smoke & Ice more than a standard mezcal Negroni. He thought the additions of pineapple and chocolate complemented the existing flavors perfectly and made it all the more delectable.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As a fan of the Negroni, this was a great alternative that I really enjoyed. The combination of the Milano-Torino with mezcal instead of gin was great, as expected, and I was a fan of the smokiness amongst the other classic flavors. The addition of pineapple further built the drink up, as the fruitiness worked incredibly well to compliment the mezcal’s desert-like flavors.”
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐
“Wow, this is one bitter drink! I could only take one sip because the mezcal and Campari were so bracing together. The pineapple and sweet vermouth are obviously there to smooth out their rough edges a bit, but it was still too much for me. If you like a Negroni, you might enjoy this, but if you’re averse to their flavor combination like I am, you probably won’t like it either.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.
![Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave [A Cocktail Recipe Book]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41J8UixQqLL._SL75_.jpg)
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-09-14.
Smoke & Ice
The Smoke & Ice is a modern cocktail that was created in 2016 by Jessica Gonzalez at Market Street in Rhinebeck, New York. The recipe starts with the familiar Negroni template that calls for a spirit, Campari, and vermouth, but this version uses mezcal in place of gin and also infuses pineapple into the Campari for more flavor and complexity.
Ingredients
Method
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Add mezcal, Campari, sweet vermouth, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
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Stir for 30-45 seconds.
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Strain into a lowball glass over a clear ice cube.
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Garnish with dark chocolate shavings.
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This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-09-14.
More Mezcal Cocktails
If you like this mezcal-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
The Marriage of Maguey: A mezcal and tequila cocktail made with coffee chocolate liqueur, orange curaçao, and agave syrup
Cocoa Smoke: A mezcal cocktail made with white crème de cacao, ancho chile liqueur, chocolate bitters, and an orange twist
Sforzando: A rye and mezcal cocktail made with Bénédictine, xocolatl mole bitters, and an orange twist
Old Grampian: A Scotch cocktail made with honey syrup, Angostura aromatic bitters, orange bitters, and an orange peel
