Fire and Ice: Boogaloo's Apple-Wood Smoked Ice

Fire up the smoker but forget the meat. The bartenders at Boogaloo have given you a whole new reason to break out your Big Green Egg: smoked ice. It started this past fall when bartender Kyle Harlan filled a tray with water, set it in a wood-fired smoker and then froze it, using the apple-wood-smoked ice as the star ingredient in a cocktail. But with so many types of wood chips available and a lengthy list of mixed drinks that don’t mind some smoky flavor, Harlan and Boogaloo bar manager Justin Sampson figure that the air hasn’t cleared of smoked ice just yet. “The only limit is really your mind,” Sampson said. Order Harlan’s sweet-and-smoky concoction Cuban Cooler at the Maplewood bar, then take the tarp off your smoker and start playing with fire and ice at home. Apple-Wood Smoked Ice Courtesy of Boogaloo’s Kyle Harlan 60 Ice Cubes • Add apple-wood chips to a wood-fired smoker, and light the smoker. • Fill a metal sheet cake pan (or any metal pan with a high rim) with 1 inch of filtered water. • When the temperature of the smoker reaches 170 to 200 degrees, place the pan of water inside the smoker and close the lid. Leave the pan in the smoker for 3½ to 4 hours. Then, remove the pan and let it cool. • Transfer the pan to the freezer. If you like, you can first transfer the smoked water to 5 ice cube trays, and then place them in the freezer. Freeze until the ice is solid, preferably overnight. • When ready, break the cubes using a muddler or ice pick. If you’re using trays, simply separate the cubes. • To use, add 3 smoked ice cubes to a shaker, along with your cocktail ingredients. Shake and strain into a glass. Do not use the smoked ice inside the glass.

— photo by Greg Rannells