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Bacon-Infused Bourbon Recipe

Contributed by: Jeff Potter

Shorthand

Infuse 2t bacon fat, 240 ml bourbon overnight. Freeze till fat solid. Remove fat; sieve bourbon.

Hands-On Time

2 minutes

Total Time

2 minutes, plus 12+ hours infusing

Gear

- 2 small glasses or freezer-proof jars with tight-fitting lids (a 240 ml [1c] Ball canning jar works well)

- Immersion blender + container (optional)

- Fine-mesh sieve

- Coffee filter or good-quality paper towel

Fat washing is traditionally used to refine alcohol. Put a neutral-tasting fat like lard into vodka, for instance, and you can remove the offtasting impurities it binds to. But what if you put in a flavored fat? Ahhh... the alcohol (a solvent, after all) keeps some of the flavor! Here you’ll create an infusion of 3–5% fat and 95–97% alcohol. Bourbon + bacon = winning. ’Nuff said.



Pickup

Pour the 2 t melted bacon fat into asmall glass jar and add the 240 ml (1 c) bourbon. Stir well, or put the lid on and shake it.

You can speed up the infusion process with an immersion blender: mix the ingredients in a deep container, hit them with a blender for a few seconds, then put in the glass jar.

01 Set aside at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Longer times and warmer air temperatures will yield a stronger infusion. I typically leave overnight, infusing from Friday evening to Saturday evening, for instance.

02 After your infusion, place the jar in the freezer until the fat has solidified, about 1 hour, then remove the fat from the treasure elixir. You can save the fat for future cooking.

03 Pour the bourbon into a second jar or a glass, through a finemesh sieve lined with a coffee filter, cheesecloth, or paper towel. Discard the fat bits you catch. Put in a clean container and store at room temperature, tightly covered, until it’s bourbon hour. Or is that always?



Faking It: “Aging” Bourbon in Two Minutes

Take a sip of a nice aged bourbon, say a 12-year-old W.L. Weller. Smooth, right? Next, grab a cheap 750-ml bottle of new bourbon (the same size as a bottle of wine) for $15. Anything will do. Then add the following:- 3/4 t of vanilla extract- 1/8 t of liquid smoke- 1 T of dry sherry

Give this weird concoction a sip. If you’re anything like people blind taste tested by Cook’s Illustrated magazine, you might think you’re drinking more aged bourbon! It’s not alchemy, and it won’t fool experts, but it’s a cool illusion.



Serving Suggestions

Try pairing this cocktail with a plate of blue cheese, nut butters, or other fatty treats.

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