So, if you follow me on Snapchat (I’m grace.atwood) you know I’ve been all about getting a little more domestic. I’m so proud of myself. I’ve gone from being the queen of Seamless to cooking all the time and I love it so much.
A few weeks ago, I made bacon jam (recipe here!) and afterward, I had all this bacon grease left over. So I decided to try something I’d heard about… bacon-infused bourbon. I know. I kinda still believe it exists! It’s MAGIC surprisingly easy to make it, and there are a ton of delicious drinks you can make with it. I love it in an old fashioned… or on the rocks with a little bit of honey – yum!
So before we get to the cocktail recipe, I’ll tell you how to make the bourbon!
Simply take a bottle of bourbon and remove (i.e. drink) 1/3 cup. Replace 1/3 cup with warm bacon grease. Set the bottle aside and give it a good shake… and after a few hours, stick it in the fridge. I refrigerated mine for two weeks but it was because I forgot about it… but you really only need to let it sit for 3-5 days.
Once you’ve infused your bourbon, simply pour the bourbon out (over a metal strainer with a coffee filter over it.) Clean the bottle, and pour the bourbon back in. Done… and everyone will think you are a rockstar.
To make the cocktail, you just need your bacon bourbon, bitters (I love this brand — a discovery from Charleston), and Maple Syrup. Like I said earlier, you can also use honey (and it’s actually SO much better in my opinion) but then it wouldn’t be a real old-fashioned.
Pour two oz. bacon infused bourbon, 1/2 oz. maple syrup or honey, and a splash of bitters into a glass full of ice.
Let it sit for a few minutes to chill, and then give it a good stir.
Strain and serve UP… with a twist of orange! Sit back and enjoy.