Happy Halloween. In this one I got sent a Smokehead Whisky cocktail pack (complete with Smokehead Original, glassware, shaker, jigger, and a skull-ice tray), and instead of chasing super-fancy, hard-to-source ingredients, I went the other way: simple classic whisky cocktails, but with a peated twist. Smokehead’s an independent bottling of an undisclosed Islay single malt (40% ABV, ex-bourbon casks), and it’s genuinely enjoyable neat—full-bodied with earthy, woody smoke, lemon, a bit of ginger-like spice, and that fun “smoke hits, disappears, then comes back again” thing on the finish. From there I turn three classics into Halloween-ready smoky versions. First up is a Smoky Martini: I rinse a chilled martini glass with a splash of peated whisky, then build a dry martini (heavy on the vodka—because martinis aren’t for the weak of heart) and finish with a lemon twist. Next is a Smoky Rob Roy/Manhattan situation (same template, different base spirit), where sweet vermouth and bitters play off the peat in a way I didn’t expect—sweet, bitter, and smoke all jostling for attention. Last (and my favourite) is the Smoky Whisky Sour: Smokehead, lemon, bitters, maple syrup instead of simple syrup, and egg white with a proper shake routine. It’s delicious, and it’s also a good reminder that when a bar is five deep, the bartender isn’t the jerk for sighing at your sour order.