Where There's No Smoke

by A.D. Amorosi

In spite of several social hotbeds banning cigarettes in bars and restaurants, the need, among smokers, for nicotine will not wane.

Enter the Nicotini -- a vodka martini with its liquor infused with the leaves of the tobacco plant. Birthed by Larry Wald -- owner of Fort Lauderdale's Cathode Ray Club -- before Floridians voted to go smoke-free in July, his tobacco-spiked Nicotini, its menthol version (with créme de menthe) and Black Lung (with Kahlua) have become smokers' near-favorite treats. I don't even smoke, laughed Wald, a lifelong bartender who learned the hard way. As a kid, I rolled old leaves in a brown paper bag and smoked it. That'll swear you off smoking.

Upon learning of Florida's smoking ban, Wald came up with a drink chemically composed of different liquors (which he won't name) soaked in tobacco leaves. The nicotine's an additive, says Wald of his process, which produces an addictive product, just like tobacco companies. Since inventing them, Wald sells an average of 50 Nicotinis nightly ranging from $3.50 for a quick pop to $5.50 for a whole cigarette.

I was going for a taste that was smoky and smooth, that didn't taste like an ashtray, he says. The biggest surprise, more than gripes from varying lung associations, is that not everyone taking up the N-tini vice has a cigarette habit. Smokers are turning nonsmokers on. And the nonsmokers are getting that first cigarette high, he explains. There have been good results: sales, a deluge of e-mail from fans worldwide looking for recipes and calls from distilleries offering distribution (Wald isn't interested). It also means that his patrons need not go outside to get their nic-o-kick. And nonsmokers don't have to get that smoke blown in their face.

With Nicotinis spreading across Miami and Manhattan, it's a wonder Philly hasn't taken to the novelty. But with cigarette-banning possibile, those specializing in specialty cocktails will have to consider it. No way, says Robert Scully, manager at Angelina, one of several Stephen Starr spots that mix martinis with oddities such as espresso. We don't carry them -- yet. Being a smoker, I can't imagine nicotine in a cocktail doing it for me. But I definitely want to try one.

It doesn't sound healthy, laughs Red Sky owner and nonsmoker Scott Stein, who creates martini specialties with graham crackers and peanut butter. Though he loves the Nicotini's commitment to personal freedom, he's not certain he wants to follow the cigarette companies and sell something found to be dangerous. [But] smoking and alcohol go hand in hand, he adds. If we found out tomorrow a menu item like sashimi was banned, what would we want to do as an alternative? What could I do for people who crave raw fish?