Trying Out the Marcellin Cocktail Smoking Kit for the First Time

This year, my wife Maren surprised me with a birthday gift that instantly upgraded our Friday tradition—P&C Nights (Pizza & Cocktails, Craft Beer, or Champagne). She got me the Marcellin Cocktail Smoking & Infusion Kit, and today I finally tried it out for the first time alongside our homemade pizza. Let me tell you—it was a flavorful game-changer.

We’ve been doing P&C Nights since the pandemic—our way of turning ordinary Fridays into something we look forward to. And now, with this new cocktail smoking kit, the vibe just went from cozy to elevated.

First Impressions: What’s in the Box

The Marcellin kit comes beautifully packaged and feels premium right from the start. Here's what you get:

• Glass Cloche – This dome-shaped lid is key to trapping the smoke and infusing it into your drink or food.• Oak Wood Platform – A sturdy base for your cloche and where you place your wood chips.• Butane Torch – Used to ignite the wood chips and generate that rich, smoky aroma.• Wood Chips – Mine came with a few flavors including hickory and cherrywood.• Optional Accessories – Some kits include extras like pliers, a spoon, or a cleaning brush.

Just note: the torch doesn’t come with butane, so you’ll need to buy that separately before using the kit.

How It Works

Using the Marcellin kit was surprisingly simple. Here’s how it went down:

1. Set Up – I placed a small handful of cherrywood chips onto the oak platform.

2. Ignite – Using the butane torch, which yes, I forgot to buy to butane, so I had to use a Bic lighter, but I lit the chips until they started smoking.

3. Infuse – I covered my old fashioned (made with WhistlePig Small Batch Rye) with the glass cloche and let it sit for a minute or two.

4. Serve – I lifted the cloche and was instantly hit with the aroma—warm, woody, and inviting.

   

Perfect Pairing with Pizza

Our pizza this week was a wood-fired-style pie topped with mushrooms, jalapeños, green peppers, and bacon—smoky, earthy, and a great pairing with a bourbon-based drink. The smoked cocktail brought depth and complexity to the meal, making the whole experience feel like a restaurant-worthy night at home.

While smoked cocktails are typically more of a fall or winter indulgence, it was a blast testing it out in the middle of summer. The contrast made it even more enjoyable—like a preview of cozy nights to come.

Why I Recommend the Marcellin Kit

• Enhances Flavor – The smoky element added a whole new dimension to my cocktail.• Versatile – You can use it on whiskey, tequila, cheese, nuts, even grilled veggies.• Easy to Use – If you’re new to cocktail smoking, don’t worry—the setup is intuitive.• Elegant Design – It also just looks amazing on the bar cart.

Final Thoughts

If you’re into cocktails or enjoy hosting, the Marcellin Cocktail Smoking & Infusion Kit is a solid investment. It’s simple, stylish, and adds a bit of smoky magic to your drink game. Shoutout to Maren for always knowing how to level up our P&C Nights.

Let the smoky experiments begin. Cheers!