Bacon Old Fashioned (Fat-Washed): A Savory Recipe

The Bacon Old Fashioned is the brunch-cocktail-meets-craft-bartender experiment that uses "fat-washing" to infuse bourbon with bacon character. The bourbon picks up smoky, salty, savory notes from rendered bacon fat without becoming greasy or thick — the fat is removed via freezing-and-straining. Building an Old Fashioned with the resulting bacon-bourbon produces a cocktail with serious savory depth that pairs spectacularly with brunch food. It's a technique-heavy cocktail that requires planning (the fat-wash needs 8+ hours), but the result is genuinely interesting and impressive at hosted brunches.

Fat-Washing Technique

This is the hard part. Plan ahead — 8+ hours total time including freezing.

1. Cook 6 strips of bacon until crispy. Render the fat into a small bowl as it cooks.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons (~30 ml) of warm bacon fat into a 750 ml bottle of bourbon. Use a moderate-quality bourbon (Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark — don't fat-wash premium bottles).
3. Cap and shake gently. Let sit at room temperature for 4 hours, shaking occasionally.
4. Freeze for 8+ hours. The fat solidifies and rises to the top.
5. Strain through cheesecloth or a coffee filter to remove the solid fat. The bourbon retains the bacon flavor without the fat itself.
6. Bottle the strained bourbon. Refrigerated, keeps 1–2 weeks. Use within that window — fat-washed spirits develop off-flavors over time.

Save the bacon strips themselves as garnish or for breakfast.

Why Fat-Washing Works

Fat-soluble flavor compounds in bacon (smoky, salty, umami) dissolve into the bourbon during the warm-fat steeping. The freezing solidifies the fat, allowing physical separation while keeping the dissolved flavor compounds in the spirit. Net result: bacon flavor without bacon greasiness.

The technique also works with: butter (brown butter Old Fashioned), beef tallow (steak Old Fashioned), olive oil (savory Mediterranean Old Fashioned), and various other fats.

Why Maple Syrup

Maple + bacon is a canonical American breakfast pairing. The maple syrup's caramelized character pairs with the bacon's smoke-and-salt better than demerara would. Use Grade B (now "Dark Robust") maple for maximum character.

When to Make This

Brunch-hosted gatherings. The cocktail is meant to be served with savory brunch food — eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, breakfast sandwiches, country ham. It pairs poorly with sweet brunch (pancakes, French toast) — the cocktail is already bacon-y and adding sweetness piles on. Sticks to savory.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a Bacon Old Fashioned?

Make bacon-fat-washed bourbon (warm fat + bourbon, freeze, strain). Build standard Old Fashioned with 2 oz fat-washed bourbon, ¼ oz maple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura, expressed orange peel, ice rock. Garnish with crispy bacon strip.

What is fat-washing?

A bartender technique where rendered fat (bacon, butter, etc.) is steeped in spirit at room temp for 4 hours, then frozen 8+ hours to solidify the fat. The fat is strained out, leaving the spirit infused with the fat's fat-soluble flavor compounds without the fat itself.

How long does fat-washed bourbon keep?

1–2 weeks refrigerated. Past that, off-flavors develop from residual fat oxidation. Make smaller batches and use quickly.

Can I use other fats?

Yes. Brown butter, beef tallow, olive oil, duck fat, even peanut butter (yes really) all work. Each produces a different cocktail. Bacon is the most popular and most accessible.

Why maple syrup instead of demerara?

Maple + bacon is canonical American breakfast pairing. Maple's caramelized character compounds with bacon's smoke-salt-umami. Demerara is cleaner but doesn't lean into the cocktail's brunch identity.

Is the Bacon Old Fashioned a real cocktail or a novelty?

It's real, even though it sounds gimmicky. The fat-washing technique is established craft-bartender practice (popularized by Don Lee at PDT in 2007). The cocktail drinks legitimately well — savory, complex, and food-pairs beautifully. Worth the effort for hosted brunch.

More Recipes: Variations Hub · Maple OF · Smoked OF