Bacon + Bourbon. Some things were destined to be.
Now, I know, some people say that this whole “bacon trend” is so 2009, but in my book, bacon will never go out of style. So there. I <3 bacon 4EVA. PDT (Please Don’t Tell), a super fun speakeasy in NY (and haven for spirit-forward cocktails and cheffie hot dogs) makes a maple-syrup sweetened Bacon Old Fashioned with bacon-infused bourbon.
The method for making homemade Bacon-Infused Bourbon is actually quite simple. All you really need are a few slices of bacon, a bottle of bourbon, and a mason jar, and boom. Homemade bacon booze here you come!
At first I was worried that the bacon would overpower the bourbon, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the flavor coaxed out of the bacon was subtle. You get a whisper of savory smoke, but the heart of the flavor is still definitely good old bourbon.
If you’re thinking, well…I’d rather eat my bacon and drink my bourbon, you’re in luck. Because that’s exactly what you do. The bourbon is only infused with the bacon fat, which means those crispy cooked strips of bacon are fair game to be devoured as you see fit. So let’s start there – with perfectly cooked bacon.
Have you seen this genius trick from America’s Test Kitchen on how to cook the most perfect bacon ever? Ever since laying eyes on this technique, I refuse to cook bacon any other way. It is fool proof and always results in the best tender-crisp bacon.
After the bacon is cooked, strain off the bacon fat and combine it with the bourbon in a big mason jar.
Give your bacon fat snow globe a good shake.
Let the bacon fat and bourbon mingle at the flavor party for a good 6 hours at room temp. Then stick the jar in the freezer to solidify the fat so that it’s easier to strain.
After straining, let the infused bourbon drip through a coffee filter to really make sure all the fat is removed. There’s actually a technical term for what we’re doing here – it’s called “fat-washing” – and it allows you to get all the flavor and aroma of the fat into your liquid without incorporating any of the actual fat. Pretty neat, huh? Oh, those mixologists are so clever.
Once your infused bourbon is all dripped through, you are done! Pour it back into a bottle and store it in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to impress some of your bacon and bourbon loving friends.
I suspect your cocktail game is about to level up…especially because I have just the cocktail for you to make use of this Bacon Bourbon! Ohhh I’m so excited for you! Stay tuned!!!
Bacon. Booze. This could be the best DIY project you’ve ever done.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (1/4 cup) bacon grease, from 4-5 slices good bacon (applewood smoked)
- 750 mL bourbon (Maker’s Mark)
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a skillet over high heat with just enough water to cover it. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium. Once all the water is boiled away, lower the heat to medium-low until the bacon is crisp and browned. Remove the bacon – that’s the cook’s treat, thank you very much.
- Pour off two ounces (1/4 cup) of the rendered bacon fat from the pan.
- Pour the bourbon into a large glass container (a one quart mason jar works perfectly).
- Strain the bacon fat into the container, put the cover on, and give it a good shake. Infuse for 6 hours at room temperature. Place the mixture in the freezer until all the fat is solidified, about 1.5 hours.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the fat and strain the mixture through a sieve. Then strain again through a coffee filter. Pour the bacon-infused bourbon into a bottle and keep it stored in the freezer or fridge.
Recipe Source: LickMySpoon.com.
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