Liquid Smoke in the LA Times Magazine

I have a story about smoke cocktails in this Sunday's LA Times Magazine. Go read it!

PHOTO: BARTHOLOMEW COOKE

Now, you're saying, "Didn't I already read that?" Nope, that would be Robert Simonson's excellent story in the New York Times, which I learned about after mine had already been submitted. We cover pretty much the same material, referencing many of the same people and even including one of the same recipes! Compare and contrast. 

My story includes recipes by Tim Zohn and Ethan Terry of AQ, San Francisco, Giovanni Martinez of Sadie, Los Angeles, Michael Callahan of 28 HongKong Street, Singapore, Daniel Zacharczuk of Bar/Kitchen Los Angeles, Jacob Grier of Metrovino, Portland, and Sam Ross of Milk and Honey, New York. 

Liquid Smoke
By Camper English 

Between molecular mixology, mezcal, and scotch, the vapor somehow seeped into cocktail glasses. 

Back at the turn of this century, when we were all obsessed with the Cosmopolitan, smoke was barely a wisp on the cocktail scene. The genre’s only notable drink was the Smoky Martini, which called for gin and the tiniest splash of blended—not actually smoky—scotch. Then menus started to feature a few vintage scotch drinks, like Blood and Sand and Mamie Taylor, with the faintest tendrils of smoke. But as dark spirits became more popular, the time was right for new flavors to accompany them.

Read the story here.