TheAgitator.com
How to baconify your bourbon
Saturday, August 16th, 2008
Since my home bar was among the things I had to leave behind when I moved from Virginia, I’m limited in my cocktail blogging right now. But since bacon and bourbon are two Agitator favorites, I thought a post about how to deliciously combine the two was the least I could offer. (Why would you want to put bacon in your bourbon? If you have to ask, this isn’t the post for you.)
Alcohol is very good at extracting flavors. It’s easy to use for infusions. Throw some raspberries in some gin, let it sit for a day or two, strain out the raspberries, and voila, you’ve got raspberry gin. Unfortunately, your raspberries are going to taste pretty nasty now. That’s fine for fruit, but who wants to waste bacon? Luckily, there’s a better way.
It’s unappetizingly called “fat-washing.” It works on the basic principle that most of the flavor elements in a fat are also soluble in alcohol. This means that instead of having to ruin good bacon in an infusion, you can just use the melted fat. I got to sample a use of this technique last month at Tales of the Cocktail, a fantastic annual convention of cocktail enthusiasts held in New Orleans every summer. I’m getting baconostalgic just thinking about it. This recipe comes from PDT in New York and it makes a bourbon with an intense, smoky aroma and a true bacon flavor.
What you’ll need: A 750 ml bottle of good bourbon. PDT recommends Four Roses Yellow Label. I’ve used Bulleit, which you might have an easier time finding. Also bacon, as smoky as possible. PDT uses Benton’s from Tennessee, and while any smoky bacon could work, my own substitution didn’t produce nearly as much smoke character as what I sampled in New Orleans.
To make it, cook up 3-4 strips of bacon. Retain a fluid ounce or so of the rendered fat, letting it cool but not solidify. Discard of the bacon in the manner of your choosing (I’m sure you’ll think of something). Pour the fat and bourbon into a glass jar and let it sit to taste, a matter of hours if the bacon is strong enough.
Now you’ve got a very greasy looking jar of bourbon. To make it ungreasy, put it in the freezer over night. The fat will conveniently congeal for easy straining, and you can clean it up even further with a run through a coffee filter.
If all goes well, your bourbon will now taste and smell distinctively like your bacon. Drink it neat, or try out PDT’s breakfasty Benton’s Old-Fashioned, a version of which is pictured above:
2 oz bacon bourbon
1/4 oz maple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice and pour into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a twist of orange. Enjoy.
[Photo from the Flickr stream of Dansays.]
Jacob, you are a god among men.
Can we call it “baconize” instead of “baconify”?
This seemed appropriate.
I’ve had this before. I actually had it in New Orleans back in 2001 and I was pleasantly surprised. When asked how it was made, this is how the bartender explained it:
1. Pour out a bit of burbon (he used Makers Mark)
2. Pour in some bacon fat
3. Let it sit for a few days
4. Freeze for 2 hours (which solidifies the bacon fat but not the burbon)
5. Pour through a strainer
6. Re-bottle
7. Serve
I’m kind of surprised to see it blogged here, but kudos for finding it, trying it, and posting it!
It brings a tear to my eye to know that there are others in the world like me.
I’ll tap anything after enough bourbon…just ask my married neighbors!
This is the greatest thing ever put on The Agitator. Thank you Jacob! Is Grier like, British Jewish or something?
I think it’s Scottish, but in my family’s case it’s made up. Some early 20th century relative changed it from Goldstein to Grier to sound less Jewish.
A miracle if there ever was one. Thank you!
Submitted to the bacon subreddit, my favorite subreddit of them all.
This actually works when brewing beer too. For the longer secondary fermentation of a porter, I put bacon in only to get the most delightful beer that I’ve ever made. I call it my Baconated Porter, and it’s a legend among my brewing friends.
[...] No, really. [...]
Typically I’m a microbrew man, but I live in bourbon country and I love snacking on salty things (cashews, olives, goldfish crackers) when I’m sloshed. I think this marriage of bourbon and bacon is a natural fit.
I don’t know whether to cheer or vomit. I do love bacon … but I also love bourbon.
Dear god, the alcohol snob in me wants to scream in frustration while the bacon fan in me wants to shout for joy …
What’s one to do?
Good bourbon mixed with other than water? I am nearly speechless. This recipe cannot be kosher.
Bacon: Is there anything it can’t do?
I knew (somehow) that Jacob was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
If you would like to fortify your bacon, rather than your drink, you can try marinating an unsliced side in sweet vermouth for a day or two and then slow roasting it in an oven or on a rotisserie.
I guess you could then mix the baconated vermouth with whisky, vodka or gin.
Also works well with bland meat like turkey, chicken and farm-raised rabbit.
chsw
Thanks, that sounds good. When I’m moved in somewhere and once again with cooking equipment I’ll give that a try.
[...] I like bacon. I like bourbon. Not sure I’d want to mix the two though. [...]
I perfer the term “baconated”.
[...] There are no words. [...]
[...] a blog called The Agitator: How to baconify your bourbon Why would you want to put bacon in your bourbon? If you have to ask, this isn’t the post for [...]
There something very, very wrong with you.
There’s a drink that has become somewhat popularized in Telluride, CO over the past few years. It’s called the Mitch Morgan, and it’s a shot of bourbon in a glass rimmed with bacon fat, with a bacon garnish.
This year, perhaps we will infuse our bourbon first - thanks for the tip!
I’ve decided to baconify my entire life–starting with my contact lenses and eventually moving to the fillings in my teeth.
Those in the blog thread who were complaining about “baconify” vs “baconize” need to pronounce it properly. Say “baCONify” and it sounds, well, delightful.
Sounds like it would go great in the morning with a side car of bacon wrapped sausage!!
[...] Food, Recipes/Cooking at 8:44 am by LeisureGuy The Eldest, another great bacon fan, passes along this recipe for bacon [...]
[...] Wow. Combining two of things that I love so dearly. [...]
[...] the rest of the post here for the final few steps and serving [...]
“Say ‘baCONify’ and it sounds, well, delightful.”
In hindsight, this is undeniably correct.
Tim, that’s exactly how I was imagining it. Glad you’re on board!
[...] This is the greatest invention since deep-fried ice cream! Dude. I am all over this one! [...]
I don’t think this will work with Coke or Mountain Dew. Infusions should meld with the standard mixers.
However most things do improve when they are “baCONify”ed.
[...] August 22, 2008 This is so not right. And the further down you read, the worse it [...]
At last….I know I am not alone in the universe. I have found my brethren. Bacon Bourbon fans unite!
[...] idea from the blog The Agitator. Bartender and man among men Jacob Grier posts on a method for infusing smokey bacon flavor into bourbon. And yes, this is now at the top of my to-do [...]
I think I love my Bourbon too much to screw with it…yes, I think I’ll pass.
Four Roses Single Barrel….neat. yeah, that’s more like it.
I believe the proper term is “baconization.” My small contribution to the world of pork-infused libation.
NB: This particular method was perfected by Don Lee of PDT in NYC.
Watch him mix his signature Benton’s Old Fashioned:
http://nymag.com/daily/food/2008/04/make_pdts_baconinfused_oldfash.html
[...] The Agitator » Blog Archive » How to baconify your bourbon This recipe comes from PDT in New York and it makes a bourbon with an intense, smoky aroma and a true bacon flavor. (tags: whiskey drinks bourbon bacon) [...]
Mmmmmmm..Bacon.
When I drink bourbon, I drink bourbon, and when I eat bacon I eat bacon. Ne’er the twain shall meet.
Try a little bourbon on your oat meal. It’s incredible.
I replied earlier but in looking at this list of replies, I could not find my reply, so I’ll say it again.
This bacon and burbon looks like the ruination of two perfectly good things. ‘too much trouble for a negative return. Sorry!
Ernestene is finished with her radiation treatments and is doing very well. More later. AEC
[...] A Bacon-Cheese roll. Serve this at your holiday gathering and make new friends! I might Martha it up one more step and serve each slice on a half a cupcake. For extra savoire-faire, serve it with a bacon-infused Old Fashioned. [...]
[...] if you have ever wished your bourbon had a bit more of a smokey bacon tang to it, Jacob gives step by step instructions on exactly how to achieve [...]
[...] claims a Guinness is the perfect drink with which to wash this down, but I’d probably opt for bacon-flavored bourbon, [...]
Sounds delicious!
As a dish I would recommend bacon wrapped, grilled Banana with spicy-sweet mustard.
Directions: Cut banana into logs about the size equal to the width of the bacon strips and wrap them with bacon - secure with a tooth pick and grill over medium - high heat laying on the bacon and rolling frequently.
Serve warm and with an assortment of your favorite mustards.
[...] and interesting technique that was presented here in the crescent City for Tales of the Cocktail: How Baconify Your Bourbon. Peculiar? Yes! Smoky and delicious? Yes? Do you believe me? Probably not. Give it a try ad let me [...]
[...] How to baconify your bourbon at The Agitator (via AJ) (tagged: bacon bourbon whiskey food recipe ) [...]
[...] Baileys curdles, so perhaps dairy-products aren’t the best bet there. There’s already baconified bourbon, so I don’t think it’s a completely crazy idea. I still need to think of some names for [...]
[...] How to baconify your bourbon at The Agitator (via AJ) (tagged: bacon bourbon whiskey food recipe ) [...]
[...] Bacon Martini Bacon Vodka Bacon Jalapenos Vodka Bacon Whiskey Bacon Bourbon [...]
[...] when waxing on the mighty piggy (no, not ms.) the last couple of days, i’d be remiss to not recall this brilliance… two of the best, most savory, sensual, sexiest, voluptuous tastes. evah… [...]