Bacon and Bourbon

For those truly into Bacon, and honestly who isn't, this is a must try.

Bacon Infused Bourbon

1/3 cup of rendered Bacon Fat (78 ml.)

3 cups of Bourbon (708 ml.)

Cook a pound of your favorite smokiest bacon (500 g.) and reserve the rendered fat. Add .33 cup of hot fat to a jar and fill with bourbon. Seal and allow to stand until it reaches room temperature. Place the jar in the freezer for 24 hours. The fat will solidify but the bourbon will remain in a liquid state. Open the jar and pour off the bourbon, straining through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove any loose fat particles. Bottle it and slap on a cool label.

Recipe adapted from Summit Sips

Now this whole concept of infused liquor is nothing new. Just look at the sheer number of flavored vodkas available these days (see the Russian Vodka Room, here in New York City, if you don't believe me). But what is new, or at least the next food fad, is the concept of Umami.

Umami is the Japanese concept of a fifth taste sensation. Most people are familiar with the four tastes sensations that the human tongue can differentiate between, i.e. sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But the Japanese believe that there is a fifth sensation, and I'm not talking about that "fifth of rye" that you have in the glove compartment of the pick-up.

Umami is the flavor produced by amino acids such as glutamate that we normally associate with beef, mushrooms or that “rich” character found in stews and some fermented foods. When someone describes a dish like Pâté du Canard au Porto, they describe a savoriness that transcends sweet or salty; a taste that is pleasant "brothy" or "meaty" with a long lasting, mouthwatering, coating sensation over the tongue. For more information you can look HERE.

So, I've made some Bacony Bourbon, what the hell do I do with it??

Behold :

Benton’s Old Fashioned

2 oz bacon-infused bourbon

.25 oz maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

orange twist

In a mixing glass filled halfway with ice, combine all ingredients. Stir, then strain into a tumbler with one large ice cube. Garnish with a twist of orange.

Beverage recipe and photo courtesy of Summit Sips and Please Don't Tell

Go ahead, live a little!