photo by george billard
This bacon-infused bourbon cocktail was inspired by the Old Fashioned at PDT, a cocktail mecca in New York City’s East Village. I think the star-anise-infused cider syrup gives mine a nice complexity, and the fresh lemon juice sparks the dark, smoky flavors. I entered this drink as a contender on Food52, when the theme was “Your Best Pork and Apple Cider Recipe” and , although it didn’t win, it was one of the week’s editors’ picks. (Probably because it really stood out against all the ((admittedly delicious-looking)) recipes for cider-braised pork shoulder.)
Bacon-Infused Bourbon
- 375 ml bourbon, such as Tuthilltown's Baby Bourbon
- 2 slices smoky bacon, cooked to render 3/4 ounce of fat
- Decant the bourbon into a large glass jar with a wide mouth.
- Fry the bacon in a skillet to render the fat. (Scarfing the bacon down is de rigueur!)
- Once it’s cooled a bit, strain the fat into the jar of bourbon.
- Let it sit out for about 6 hours and then put it in the freezer.
- Once the fat is completely hardened, scoop it all out with a slotted spoon.
Apple Cider Syrup
- 2 cups organic apple cider
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (like dark muscovado)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B preferred
- 1-2 star anise
- Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and keep at a strong simmer until liquid has reduced to 2/3 cup. Strain out the star anise.
The Piggyback
- 2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon
- 1 1/2 ounces cider syrup
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- Into a cocktail shaker with ice, pour bourbon, syrup and lemon juice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. You can double the ingredients and shake two at a time if you’re not drinking alone.
Nice! We’re so on the same page. Unabashed use of smoked belly – love it.
Posted by Michelle on 2.4.10 at 8:26 pmWelcome, pork fiend! ;-)
Posted by laura on 2.4.10 at 10:07 pm