The Bacon Old Fashioned is a project drink — and the best kind. You do 10 minutes of active work, put a bowl in the freezer, and wake up the next day with a bottle of fat-washed bourbon that tastes like a campfire, a diner, and a cocktail bar decided to collaborate. Top Hat Old Fashioned Syrup handles the bitters, citrus, and spice. Candied bacon on the rim closes the loop. Make this for a dinner party and it becomes the most talked-about thing you've ever poured.
The fat-washed bourbon recipe makes a full bottle — not just one drink. Alcohol is a better solvent than water: it pulls flavor compounds from the bacon fat that water alone can't capture. After freezing and filtering, you're left with bourbon that carries bacon's savory depth and silky mouthfeel but pours completely clear.
Method
- Pour 2 oz fat-washed Bourbon into a rocks glass over a large cube.
- Add ¼ oz Top Hat Old Fashioned Syrup.
- Stir 8–10 seconds to integrate.
- Garnish with candied bacon across the rim.
Pro move: Coat bacon strips in brown sugar, bake at 375°F on a wire rack for 15–18 minutes. Cool completely. They hold for 2 days at room temperature. Make extra — they disappear.
The Fat-Washed Bourbon
Makes one full bottle (750ml). Keeps for several weeks at room temperature.
- Cook thick-cut bacon over medium-high heat until well browned and most fat has rendered — 5 to 7 minutes.
- Strain fat through fine-mesh strainer into a large metal bowl. Reserve bacon for garnish.
- Pour full bottle of Bourbon into the warm fat. Whisk to combine. Keep the bottle and cap.
- Rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Cover and freeze overnight (minimum 8 hours).
- Remove from freezer. Skim off the congealed fat.
- Strain Bourbon back into bottle through a paper coffee filter in a funnel. Swap filters when they clog. Be patient.