That bacon and bourbon go well together may not come as a surprise. (I mean, what doesn’t go with bacon?) But it may be surprising how easy it is to make bacon-infused bourbon, which adds robustness and gives off a comfort food vibe when combined with maple syrup in this take on the old-fashioned. Bartender Don Lee created this modern classic at PDT, one of the original modern speakeasy bars in New York City, and you’ll now find variations of it on bar menus across the South and beyond. The original recipe called for the super-smoky bacon made by Allan Benton in Madisonville, Tennessee. Substitute your favorite smoked bacon, or better yet, hew to the original and order from Benton by mail.
Benton’s Old-Fashioned: Bourbon + Bacon
That bacon and bourbon go well together may not come as a surprise. (I mean, what doesn’t go with bacon?) But it may be surprising how easy it is to make bacon-infused bourbon, which adds robustness and gives off a comfort food vibe when combined with maple syrup in this take on the old-fashioned. Bartender […]
Ingredients
For the bacon-infused bourbon
1 (750 ml) bottle bourbon
1 oz. liquefied bacon fat
For each old-fashioned
2 oz. bacon-infused bourbon
¼ oz. maple syrup (Grade B preferred)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange twist
Preparation
Make the bacon-infused bourbon: Add liquefied bacon fat to the bourbon in a nonreactive container and let sit for 4 hours. Then place in the freezer for 4 hours so that the fat solidifies. Strain through cheesecloth to remove the fat, then rebottle the bourbon.
Make the old-fashioned: Add bacon-infused bourbon to a mixing glass filled with ice. Add maple syrup and bitters. Stir until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass, preferably over a large ice cube. Rub the rim with orange twist, then drop into glass.
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