So I thought I would give Bacon Bourbon another try, because it absolutely had to be shared on Bacon Day. I had high hopes as I was using my favorite bourbon this time, Maker’s Mark. It has a warm, slightly smoky flavor to begin with, so seemed perfect for the infusion.
I began as last time with several ounces of fresh bacon grease in a pitcher with a full bottle of Maker’s Mark. This time I also added a slice of bacon for the three hours of room-temperature infusion. I used a thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon this time. I then froze the infusion for several hours and did a first straining through cheese cloth and a wire mesh strainer. Last time I ended up with a bit of grease in the final stage, so this time I washed the pitcher, put the bourbon back in and froze it again overnight. The morning of Bacon Day I did a second cheese cloth/mesh straining, but still ended up with a tiny bit of grease and particulate matter. No one found it off-putting, so I won’t worry so much about that in the future.
And the results? Once again, the smoke was subtle and some people didn’t even taste a difference. I should have had plain Maker’s for comparison. A few people who claimed to really know their bourbon reported tasting the smoke, and I myself thought it was slightly more noticeable than last time. But still, not quite the difference I was looking for.
In the end, no one complained about having a bottle of Maker’s to sip on, and whether they tasted the smoke or not, everyone enjoyed the Bourbon. As I mentioned yesterday, it was a hit combination with the Bacondoodles. Just as a side note, I took a bite of the bacon I used for the infusion after the first freezing. Wow, was that an unpleasant experience…I couldn’t bring myself to swallow it. So I can say unequivocally that I do NOT recommend bourbon-infused bacon!
I’m just thinking you could cook that bourbon infused bacon just by tossing a lit match at it… 🙂
Maker’s is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Of course, bacon is right up there, too.
here’s how I do it at my restaurant: I too felt that Makers Mark was perfect: smokier than Jack, but not as expensive as Woodford’s Reserve. 4 applewood smoked bacon slices in a liter; 18 hours infused. I twice filtered through a coffee filter. Longer than 18 hours, and I found it pulls out too much salt, less and it doesn’t have any bacon flavor. It is absolutely best as a shot or as the basis for a Maple syrup Old Fashioned… just muddle your orange & cherries in syrup instead of sugar. Now Maker’s Mark is for Breakfast!