How to get a good fragrance from burnt rosemary? There's a particular cocktail I'm trying to produce which has a garnish of burnt fresh rosemary. Properly done, the rosemary is burnt with a torch to release some very fragrant, herbal smoke.

However when trying to do this at home, I get smoke that smells like...just smoke. Very little rosemary fragrance.

What's the trick to getting the rosemary aroma to come through?
You need fresh rosemary and give it a quick char and not allow it to burn. That's sort of the same technique of using a blowtorch for crème brulée and the same "doneness" of charred vegetables - caramelized but not burnt

If you're smelling smoke, it is already too burnt to use.