[chefpeon]

Over at the Pastry and Baking forum there's been posts about bacon flavored desserts (such as ice cream). Today I found a recipe for bacon flavor vodka for your drinking pleasure. Pair it with some sausage infused vermouth for a morning Breakfast-tini!!!


Bacon Vodka

Makes one pint

*Take some of your favorite bacon, and fry up about three strips. Or fry up bacon scraps if you wish.
*Add the cooked bacon to a squeaky clean pint sized mason jar.
For an extra kick, you can also add black peppercorns.
*Pour your fav vodka in the jar. Screw on the lid and place in a dark place for at least three weeks.(Refrigeration not necessary)
*At the end of the three weeks, put the jar in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter. You will now have a clear filtered pale yellow bacon vodka.
*Pour into a decorative bottle to give as a gift, or just drink it right from the jar.
Yeah baby!

This recipe originally appeared on Brownie Points.
Permission to reproduce it here is granted by a Creative Commons license.

This post has been edited by Pam R: 08 March 2008 - 03:55 PM

[Alchemist]

There is a quicker easier way to get this result. It's called fat washing.

Render the fat from a pound of (Bentons) Bacon.

Take a bottle of bourbon, rye, or rum. (F*%k vodka)

Combine. Put in freezer. Scrape off fat. Rebottle booze. Make a Manhattan or old fashiond.

Breakfast of champions.

Toby

[Forest]

There's an interesting article about 'Cocktail Master' Eben Freeman in one of the back issues of Food and Wine where both fat-washing and bacon infused bourbon are mentioned. (the article isn't exclusively about that, but interesting none the less)

This post has been edited by Forest: 04 March 2008 - 05:50 AM

[slkinsey]

This isn't that different from the thread on weeniecello. To me, there's something a little amusing but not all that interesting about the typical "duuuuude! have some relish-flavored vermouth with that hotdog-flavored vodka" scenarios. It's nothing that I'd really want to drink other than as a temporary amusement.

But fat-washing is a powerful and compelling technique that is far more interesting than mere novelty infusions. Just about every taste and aromatic compound that is soluble in fat is also soluble in alcohol. All that is needed is to mix the fat with the alcohol, wait a while, freeze the alcohol and skim out the congealed fat. Substantial taste and aromatic compounds will have transferred from the fat to the alcohol. Right now, Eben Freeman at Tailor and our own donbert at PDT are doing the most interesting things with fat-washing of which I am aware.

A good example of this would be PDT's Benton's Old Fashioned, which is built on a foundation of bourbon infused with fat from rendered Benton's bacon. It's not a punch-in-the-mouth of bacon right up front, but, especially after the first few sips, rather a subtle hint of smokey pork in the finish. This is a unique, interesting and delicious cocktail that is much more than a novelty.

Part of the trick, of course, is picking the right spirit into which the fat will be infused. Vodka is not particularly interesting, in my opinion, and will typically yield a product that doesn't have much potential for serious mixology.

Perhaps at some point we can start a serious thread about fat-washing. It's a technique that is only just beginning to be explored by mixologists. I'd like to learn more about it, and I'd also like to popularize the technique (which is not difficult to execute).

[bostonapothecary]

slkinsey, on Mar 4 2008, 10:17 AM, said:

This isn't that different from the thread on weeniecello.  To me, there's something a little amusing but not all that interesting about the typical "duuuuude! have some relish-flavored vermouth with that hotdog-flavored vodka" scenarios.  It's nothing that I'd really want to drink other than as a temporary amusement.

But fat-washing is a powerful and compelling technique that is far more interesting than mere novelty infusions.  Just about every taste and aromatic compound that is soluble in fat is also soluble in alcohol.  All that is needed is to mix the fat with the alcohol, wait a while, freeze the alcohol and skim out the congealed fat.  Substantial taste and aromatic compounds will have transferred from the fat to the alcohol.  Right now, Eben Freeman at Tailor and our own donbert at PDT are doing the most interesting things with fat-washing of which I am aware.

A good example of this would be PDT's Benton's Old Fashioned, which is built on a foundation of bourbon infused with fat from rendered Benton's bacon.  It's not a punch-in-the-mouth of bacon right up front, but, especially after the first few sips, rather a subtle hint of smokey pork in the finish.  This is a unique, interesting and delicious cocktail that is much more than a novelty.

Part of the trick, of course, is picking the right spirit into which the fat will be infused.  Vodka is not particularly interesting, in my opinion, and will typically yield a product that doesn't have much potential for serious mixology.

Perhaps at some point we can start a serious thread about fat-washing.  It's a technique that is only just beginning to be explored by mixologists.  I'd like to learn more about it, and I'd also like to popularize the technique (which is not difficult to execute).

perfumer's have used the technique for ever and call it enfleurage. i've heard of cultures putting chicken feet in their booze... i have a lot of rendered capon fat in the walk in... add some black truffle... some aged spirit... chill and seperate...

maybe i could add rendered fat and spiced rooster claws to fighting cock bourbon and make it live up to the name...

[slkinsey]

bostonapothecary, on Mar 4 2008, 11:33 AM, said:

perfumer's have used the technique for ever and call it enfleurage.

My understanding is that "enfleurage" refers to infusing aromatic compounds into fat, not infusing flavors out of the fat that are already in there.

The classic enfleurage procedure involves passivelty infusing aromas from flowers (enfleurage = "enflowering") into cold neutral fat until the fat is saturated with aromatic compounds (the "enfleurage" part) then washing the "enfleurage pomade" with alcohol or some other solvent, and and then letting the alcohol evaporate leaving behind the essential oil. It's an extremely inefficient and costly method of extraction, and most everyone uses straight solvent extraction without fat these days.

[mkayahara]

So what applications of fat-washing are there beyond animal fats? If most fat-soluble flavour compounds are also soluble in alcohol, why not just infuse them directly into the alcohol?

Of course, now I'm wondering what it would be like to infuse a spirit with roasted sesame oil...

[slkinsey]

For example, PDT is also doing a drink made with popcorn-and-butter-infused rum. Don has also done a drink made with a foie gras-infused spirit.

Beyond animal fats, there are plenty of other possibilities. Olive oil infusions come to mind. But also something like avodado-infused tequila might be interesting.

[mkayahara]

slkinsey, on Mar 4 2008, 01:07 PM, said:

Beyond animal fats, there are plenty of other possibilities.  Olive oil infusions come to mind.  But also something like avodado-infused tequila might be interesting.

Yeah, I thought of olive oil right after I posted. And I suppose there are lots of nut oils that might also be interesting.

[Morgan_Weber]

Since certain cheeses have a significantly high fat content, could it be possible to infuse their flavor into spirits? Or would the already-present bacteria in the cheeses present a problem? I would assume that a spirit with 40% alchohol might kill the types of bacteria that are present.

Off the top of my head:

Epoisses and Bleu Cheese could be cool...

edited for spelling.

This post has been edited by Morgan_Weber: 04 March 2008 - 10:17 AM

[slkinsey]

Only one way to find out! You'd have to liquify the cheese in the alcohol somehow, though.

[Morgan_Weber]

slkinsey, on Mar 4 2008, 11:22 AM, said:

Only one way to find out!  You'd have to liquify the cheese in the alcohol somehow, though.

Hmmm...epoisses at room temperature is already pretty runny. I suppose you could melt it, though you probably wouldn't want to emulsify it with the spirit--that might present some issues with filtering in the end. There's gotta be a way to pull it off...

I like the idea of avocado-infused tequila...maybe with the addition of some lime zest? This concept opens up to so many possibilities.

[donbert]

Sesame Oil unfortunately doesn't infuse very well. That was actually the first thing I tried when working on what eventually became the Silk Road (toasted sesame infused aquavite) cocktail from our last menu at PDT. The deep flavor of Sesame Oil just doesn't come through.

Olive Oil is too delicate for anything other than vodka and even then completely lost once you mix it into a drink.

Avocado flesh is a pain to work with and I haven't found a good method for it yet. Avocado oil is again too light.

Cheese oils = something I'm playing with now but nothing ready for production yet. more news on that once it's ready.

At the end of the day fat washing is really no different from coming up with any other kind of infusion. It's a trial and error game of coming up with the right combination of [volume of liquid to be infused + amount of infusing ingredient] x length of infusion x temperature of infusion. Just like making coffee could be thought of [ W cp water + X tbs ground coffee ] x Y mins x Z degree F. The only complication is that you have to freeze the fat before you can strain it out.

This post has been edited by donbert: 04 March 2008 - 12:18 PM

[evo-lution]

slkinsey, on Mar 4 2008, 05:07 PM, said:

For example, PDT is also doing a drink made with popcorn-and-butter-infused rum.

Any idea how they do this? I've a few things I'd like to try out and this sounds pretty interesting

This post has been edited by evo-lution: 05 March 2008 - 04:22 AM

[donbert]

evo-lution, on Mar 5 2008, 06:22 AM, said:

slkinsey, on Mar 4 2008, 05:07 PM, said:

For example, PDT is also doing a drink made with popcorn-and-butter-infused rum.

Any idea how they do this? I've a few things I'd like to try out and this sounds pretty interesting

It's a double infusion. First infuse the rum with dry air popped popcorn and strain then fat wash with clarified butter. pm me if you have specific questions.

[TMFIII]

Alchemist, on Mar 4 2008, 07:12 AM, said:

There is a quicker easier way to get this result.  It's called fat washing.

Render the fat from a pound of (Bentons) Bacon. 

Take a bottle of bourbon, rye, or rum. (F*%k vodka)

Combine.  Put in freezer.  Scrape off fat.  Rebottle booze.  Make a Manhattan or old fashiond.

Breakfast of champions.

Toby

I did this very same thing about a week ago. I used hickory smoked Smithfield (it's a Virginia thing) bacon and Maker's Mark. I think the Maker's is generally a sweeter (to my pallette) bourbon and would go wonderfully with the smoky-bacony goodness. The resulting elixir was a very interesting combination. The fat washing added a nice smokey undertone to the bourbon and paired back the sweetness quite a bit. It didn't have that "bacon" flavor as if you were chewing on a strip of it, which surprised most of the people to whom I've served it.

I initially mixed it with fresh apple cider, calvados, a bit of maple syrup and Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters. It came out pretty good. I need to tinker with proportions but it has promise.

Cheers,
Marshall

[Susie Q]

My brother would love Bacon Vodka.



Just trying to figure out a cocktail for this.

BLT

bacon flavored vodka
tomato water

dip the glass in mayo then rim with toast crumbs.

Serve with a tightly rolled leaf lettuce cigar to munch as you sip.

[judiu]

Susie Q, on Mar 6 2008, 04:24 PM, said:

My brother would love Bacon Vodka.



Just trying to figure out a cocktail for this.

BLT

bacon flavored vodka
tomato water

dip the glass in mayo then rim with toast crumbs.

Serve with a tightly rolled leaf lettuce cigar to munch as you sip.

I want one, please... NOW!

[jmfangio]

How long is the infusion time for fat washing? Just long enough for the fat to solidify, or longer?

There was some discussion of fat washing going on a few months ago in the molecular mixology thread and, tongue planted firmly in cheek I brought up the idea of Bacon Bitters. Thing is, though, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my mind. It may be one of the worst ideas I've ever had, or sheer genius.

As a proof of concept shortcut, rather than starting from scratch I'm thinking of fat washing a bottle of Angostura, which is cheap enough so that I'm not taking a big hit if this turns out to be a bad idea (no way I'm sacrificing my bottle of Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged just yet).

[TMFIII]

jmfangio, on Mar 6 2008, 10:30 PM, said:

How long is the infusion time for fat washing?  Just long enough for the fat to solidify, or longer?

There was some discussion of fat washing going on a few months ago in the molecular mixology thread and, tongue planted firmly in cheek I brought up the idea of Bacon Bitters.  Thing is, though, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my mind.  It may be  one of the worst ideas I've ever had, or sheer genius.

As a proof of concept shortcut, rather than starting from scratch I'm thinking of fat washing a bottle of Angostura, which is cheap enough so that I'm not taking a big hit if this turns out to be a bad idea (no way I'm sacrificing my bottle of Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged just yet).

I infused for a little longer than 48 hours. My whole process is here (scroll down towards the bottom, you'll see bacon frying : http://community.liv..._den/25829.html

I think that stirring the fat into the spirit thoroughly and then letting it rise to the top on its own is key. Plus, the longer you leave it in the fridge, the more pronounced the flavors will be.

Cheers,
Marshall

[donbert]

jmfangio, on Mar 6 2008, 10:30 PM, said:

How long is the infusion time for fat washing?  Just long enough for the fat to solidify, or longer?

There was some discussion of fat washing going on a few months ago in the molecular mixology thread and, tongue planted firmly in cheek I brought up the idea of Bacon Bitters.  Thing is, though, I haven't been able to get the idea out of my mind.  It may be  one of the worst ideas I've ever had, or sheer genius.

As a proof of concept shortcut, rather than starting from scratch I'm thinking of fat washing a bottle of Angostura, which is cheap enough so that I'm not taking a big hit if this turns out to be a bad idea (no way I'm sacrificing my bottle of Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged just yet).

It depends. Figuring out the infusion time is trial and error until you find something you're happy with. It depends on the amount of the fat you use vs the alcohol, how flavorful the fat is, how flavorful the alcohol is, the temperature of the fat when you add it to the alcohol, the temperature of the room you're infusing in, etc... You should think of solidifying the fat as separate from the infusion time. Once you put the infusion in the fridge/freezer it will slow down significantly and be less effective.

I dont know if fatwashing into angostura would be the way to go. Angostura has so much going on in it that I think it wouldn't be a very good carrier of other flavors. Also it has a high level of glycerin. The best thing would be to make your own bitters and tailor the botanicals around the flavor of the bacon you're using.

[jmfangio]

donbert, on Mar 7 2008, 08:51 AM, said:

The best thing would be to make your own bitters and tailor the botanicals around the flavor of the bacon you're using.

That was my original thought, but then I did the math on the nearly monthlong project that making bitters can be, vs. five minutes or so of actual labor just to see if this is an idea that warrants further exploration. What the hell. I'll try fat washing some Angostura sometime this week. I'm not going in with the expectation that the result will be the ultimate version of Bacon Bitters, but I'm hoping that it will it least give me an idea of whether it's a good idea or not.

[judiu]

I'm nothin' but a fair to middlin' good cook, not a mixologist, BUT, I know that fat carries flavor. Wouldn't there be a problem with some of the flavors in the bitters being carried away by the fat? A lot of the flavors in bitters would seem to me to be from the essential oils of herbs and aromatics, wouldn't they just be absorbed by the bacon fat and carried off when the fat was removed? I'm not trying to be snarky here; I'm truly curious.

[bostonapothecary]

judiu, on Mar 8 2008, 09:55 AM, said:

I'm nothin' but a fair to middlin' good cook, not a mixologist, BUT, I know that fat carries flavor. Wouldn't there be a problem with some of the flavors in the bitters being carried away by the fat? A lot of the flavors in bitters would seem to me to be from the essential oils of herbs and aromatics, wouldn't they just be absorbed by the bacon fat and carried off when the fat was removed? I'm not trying to be snarky here; I'm truly curious.

interesting... in enfleurage you can't even extract all of the aromatic compounds out of your neutral fat... they usually make soap out of whats left... i bet its a two way street and you'd take some of the character out of the bitters. a good experiment would be to try it with some neutral fat and see how each tastes afterwards...

then you could make some angostura confit...?

[lemon_twist]

When you think about all this, it seems like the flavors you are trying to pull into the alcohol really aren't from the bacon itself (or rather the pig). That is, you smoke and cure pig flesh to "infuse" the meat and fat with certain flavors. Then you fat wash it in spirits to pull all those flavors out. I can't think of a more direct way to do this, but it is a little round about.

[lostmyshape]

thought i'd give this a try. 12 oz whole foods hickory-smoked bacon, rendered fat in WT 101 bourbon overnight, picked off fat, strained. i wasn't expecting much. in fact, with some of the comments above, i figured there wouldn't be much bacon flavor. but, wowee! porky and smokey.

in fact, waaayyy too porky and smokey. i got a lot of the "burnt" smoke flavors. when i take a sip and think "bacon," it's fairly remarkable -- "wow, bacon-y!" but, really, it's not too good. to make pallatible cocktails, i had to cut it 2:1 with another whiskey (WT 101 rye). and still, it's like "whoa... piggy charcoal."

so... will the flavors mellow a bit? did i just drink too soon. will this taste better in 2-3 weeks? did i do something wrong (the bacon i made was delicious and had none of the "burned" flavors that it gave to the whiskey)?

[slkinsey]

What was your ratio of fat to booze? I think it takes less than an ounce of bacon fat to flavor a 750 of bourbon.

[lostmyshape]

slkinsey, on Mar 14 2008, 02:51 PM, said:

What was your ratio of fat to booze?  I think it takes less than an ounce of bacon fat to flavor a 750 of bourbon.

hmm... i don't know... i was going by toby's (rough) recipe above. embarassingly, i didn't measure (damn silver fizz... and little italy... and...). it was probably more like 1.5-2 oz. i was actually surprised at how little liquid fat came from cooking a package of bacon. but perhaps i overdid it.

actually, i'm not so concerned with the intensity of flavor, but with the overwhelming charcoal in it. maybe i burned the fat. although, i kept pouring it off after every 3-4 slices and cooked over low heat. the bacon didn't burn.

so far, the best part of this experiment so far has been the bacon, date, and sea salt milk chocolate bars that my wife made with the left-over bacon. however, i think i can salvage the bacon-bourbon. i'll just have to use it in dashes and 1/4 ounces. hey, it'll last longer that way. and maybe it'll mellow with time. i'll report back in a couple weeks.

[Tri2Cook]

Since I'm not an expert in this area, I'll ask those who are before I jump in with both feet. Will this fat washing technique work with nut butters (peanut butter, almond butter, pistachio paste, cashew butter, sesame paste, walnut paste, etc.)? I was considering infusing with toasted pecans and brown butter then I thought: what if I pureed the pecans and butter together into a paste? That lead to: I have some cashew butter in there, I wonder what that would do? And so on...

[slkinsey]

Pecans do infuse into alcohol. But keep in mind that there is also a fair amount of tannin in pecans.