Our Favorite Smoking Gun from Breville Will Amp Up Your Cocktail Game

If you’re looking to add a tinge of smoky complexity to your favorite cocktail, you can either hold a glass of whisky by a bonfire for two hours, or you can buy a smoking gun. But not all cocktail smoking guns are created equal. Many tend to pump out dense, heavy smoke that can be overwhelming, clouding your drink with a bitter haze. Our favorite cocktail smoker, The Breville Smoking Gun Pro, however, has an adjustable fan with a dial so you can control exactly how much smoke you want to infuse into your drink.

To buy: Breville Smoking Gun Pro, $150 breville.com

Why It Won Our Review

During our testing of cocktail smokers, the Breville’s adjustable fan speed quickly caught our attention. It allowed us to fine-tune the amount of smoke, enhancing a drink's flavor profile instead of overpowering it. We also really liked its sleek design and sturdy base—it looked right at home on our bar cart. But the design went beyond aesthetics—it was also really easy to use. Just light the wood chips, set the gun on the counter, and place the hose into the glass or cocktail shaker with your drink. Adjust the fan until you see smoke pouring through the hose at your desired rate, wait two to three minutes for full smokification, et voila—easy peasy. You can also use it to smoke food if you’re feeling creative (take a gander at this smoked ice cream recipe). We do wish it came with more accessories, like a cloche (a glass dome that captures the smoke) or other lids to help trap the smoke. But, in the end, this model smoked many a competitor due to its precision and won a place in our cocktail cabinet.

Good to Know

• Fuel source: Flame (wood burning)
• Power source: Batteries 
• Weight: 2 pounds
• Glass cloche: Sold separately
• Wood chips: Additional chips can be purchased here
• Warranty: 1-year limited

FAQs

What is the Breville Smoking Gun used for?

Smoking guns are primarily used for imbuing a smoky flavor to cocktails, but you can also smoke foods, as well. The Breville works by using an adjustable fan to blow smoke through a tube into a cocktail shaker or a decanter filled with your spirit of choice, which you can then add to a cocktail for a smoky note.. 

How long do you use a smoking gun? 

Most cocktails only take about two to three minutes to infuse with smoke, but it depends on what you’re making, as well as the fan speed. A more aggressive fan speed will infuse faster, while a gentler fan speed will infuse the smoke slower.