Spoke & Steele's Smoky Cocktail

The list of ingredients in the $16 Smoke & Spice cocktail at Spoke & Steele restaurant covers all of the deep and savory bases: rye, reposado tequila, spiced simple syrup, amaretto, cayenne, and herb bitters. To achieve the ultimate smolder, though, the cocktail arrives on a cedar plank that is ignited with a blowtorch tableside.
The wood begins to blacken, and the scent of burning cedar fills the air. An overturned glass traps the smoke while the server prepares the cocktail in a beaker. And all of this happens in front of the customer, who then turns over the smoke-filled glass and pours. The liquor retains the essence of woodsmoke. But, says beverage director Tyler Burns, “The show of creating the drink is half the reason people order it.”