How and when bacon was created, we’re not exactly sure. We think that many years ago, upon searching for the Holy Grail, man found bacon instead. And with it, the knowledge to make more bacon. We know. It’s quite a miraculous thing; the human race hasn’t been the same since.

And now, in the 21st century, bacon is sweeping the nation with its salty, bacony goodness. It’s one of the biggest, baddest meats around. Coiling itself around other foods, creating a whole new edible beast; transforming dishes into something that is almost otherworldly in flavor, and laying the smack down on vegetables. Who knew asparagus could be so bold and… sexy? But have we really exhausted all of bacon’s resources? I really didn’t think so. Therefore, I wanted to take bacon to a greater, more adult level. I wanted to pair it with something boisterous and jovial. With the help of a few good friends, I went on a quest to combine two treats many of us Americans adore: Bacon and booze.

Booze is the quintessential ingredient of good old fashioned tom foolery and comical shenanigans. However, she can be quite the temperamental vixen and must be treated with the utmost care. Otherwise she’ll turn on you just when you think all is fun and copacetic. In order to avoid this drama, (and not to mention headache), you must pair her up with other ingredients in just the right way. However, I decided to throw caution to the wind and dance with the devilishly good pork candy. You throw in bacon, and things just get a little crazier. Like when someone decides to use a piece of frozen bacon as a ninja sword… Yes, this happened. No, we don’t have video… unfortunately.

So within my bacon dreaming and boozy scheming, I wanted to take on two bacon drinks: The Bloody Mary Sue-eee and the Hawaiian Luau. Since I didn’t have six weeks to create my own bacon infused vodka, I went on a liquor store hunt for it ready-made. Instead of looking online, I went the old fashioned way of driving from location to location searching for this alcoholic enigma. (I did say this was a quest, right?) After what seemed like a dozen locations, and many puzzled expressions, I finally had it within my possession. Ready to take on the beast, I needed a small group of fellow soldiers to help me in this battle.

After I had gathered a few eager guinea pigs, err… I mean, soldiers, we were ready for our bacon drink challenge. However, much to my chagrin, a few of my fellow comrades got cold feet and decided to play the game of, “Oops, we broke the bottle of bacon vodka”. Not cool, guys. Not cool. Way to back up your Captain, soldiers. Luckily, after they saw my Lieutenant’s wide-eyed incredulous expression, as well as my mounting anger, they laughed and admitted that the bottle was hiding in the freezer. Good thing too. We definitely didn’t need mutiny among us, let alone the fact that we were quite thirsty. Finally the bacon drink challenge was going down and we were eager to face the beast.

First up was the Hawaiian Luau:
1½ oz Bacon flavored vodka
3 oz Pineapple Juice
Splash (½ oz) Butterscotch Schnapps

Chill and serve in a hi-ball glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge or other fruit. It can also be served as a martini or shot. I decided to go with the martini glass. We all agreed that this drink tasted just like you were at a Luau, eating succulent pork and juicy pineapple. We imagined ourselves surrounded by grass skirt and coconut top clad women dancing as the BBQ pit fire raged on. We could hear the drumbeat in the distance. It was an amazing combination; a genius creation of flavorful science. We rated this drink an eight out of ten points.

Second on the list was the Bloody Mary Sue-eee:
1 oz. Bacon flavored vodka
4 oz. Tomato Juice
1 oz. Bacon Hot Sauce (or more if you like it hot)
A couple dashes of Bacon Salt Peppered
A couple dashes of lemon juice
Garnish with a couple of strips (or more) of Coastal Caliente Jalapeno Bacon (cooked).

Grab a cocktail shaker and add ice. Combine ingredients into the shaker. Shake and pour into a glass. Add the bacon in place of a celery stick. You can add olives if you wish. We didn’t, we just wanted to get down to it! This baby was the ultimate crowd-pleaser. It was definitely the best Bloody Mary we ever had. We all mastered this one and gave it a ten out of ten. I’m not even sure I want a regular Bloody Mary anymore. Once you go with bacon, that’s all you’ll be makin’.

The Bloody Mary Sue-eee concluded our bacon drink challenge and we came out victorious. The beast had been conquered and we felt confident that we could do it again. However, the challenge wasn’t over yet… Our friend, Rev, from Burger Conquest, also decided to mix booze with bacon and created an edible beast of his own. Instead of Russia’s favorite toasting drink, he decided to use bourbon. With this magical meat and drink medley he created the Bourbon Soaked Bacon Beast- mini burger style. Talk about a seriously enticing challenger! His soldiers devoured this beast and were anxious for more. We recommend taking it on yourself.

Bourbon Soaked Bacon Beast Ingredients
3 TBSP Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Handmade Whisky
1 pound ground Sirloin at least 20% fat
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1 TBSP Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt to taste
1 package of smoked Gouda Cheese
1 package of Bacon
Martin’s Mini-Burger or Hot Dog Potato Rolls
Rev’s full recipe of beastly flavor!

Honestly, we feel that the bacon and booze challenge may never be over. We encourage others to embark on this journey and to conquer their own beasts. Do you consider yourself a champion of bacon? Gather your own soldiers and create one epic battle. Bacon deserves nothing less. Bacon and Booze: Recipe for Champions. Seriously.

*GASP* A day dedicated to the world’s best salty, savory, and crunchy version of the other white meat? Have I died and gone to hog heaven?

Nope, you are very much still alive. There truly is a day dedicated to our beloved pork treat. Oh bacon, how we love thee. We have devoted an entire day to celebrate your scrumptious existence. According to Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia, “International Bacon Day or Bacon Day is an unofficial observance, often celebrated on the Saturday before US Labor Day (the first Monday of September)… Bacon day celebrations typically include social gatherings during which participants create and consume dishes containing bacon, including bacon-themed breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and drinks.”

Well, there you have it. Permission to indulge in all that is bacon. Because you know that once it’s been published on the internet, it must be real. And you must observe this day of devout love for pan-fried pork goodness. Start calling your neighbors, invite the family, text your friends, gather the kids… Join together in celebration of epic bacon proportions! Bring on the bacon dishes and bacon drinks! Yes, bacon drinks! Bacon goes well with booze, right? Sure, it does. Bacon goes well with everything! And if you don’t know how to make a bacon drink, we’ll help you out. Here are a couple of gourmet drink and food recipes that are sure to impress the most knowledgeable swine connoisseur:

The Bloody Mary Sue-eee

1 oz. Vodka
3 oz. Tomato Juice
2 oz. Bacon Hot Sauce
A couple dashes of Bacon Salt Peppered
A couple dashes of lemon juice
Garnish with a couple of strips (or more if you’d like!) of Coastal Caliente Jalapeno Bacon (cooked)

(Grab a cocktail shaker and add ice. Combine ingredients into the shaker. Shake and pour into a glass. Add the bacon in place of a celery stick. Add olives if you would like.)

Pair this bacon version of a Bloody Mary with some bacon wrapped hot dogs and you’re good to go! For an appetizer, wrap up some garlic stuffed olives with a half slice of bacon, place a toothpick in the center to hold the bacon and olive together, and bake until crisp.

Feel like indulging in the fancier side of swine? Want to impress your friends and make the ladies “squeal”? Try this gourmet martini on for size. It’s a One-Size-Fits-All-Who-Love-Bacon.

The Bacon Appletini

2 oz. Vanilla vodka
1 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. of Baby Bubba’s Gourmet Apple Syrup
Half a strip (or two) of Baby Bubba’s Apple Cinnamon Bacon (cooked) to garnish

(And remember, this martini is “bacon”, not stirred. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice, then pour into your favorite martini glass. The bacon slice will float beautifully on the top, adding its savory-sweet flavor.)

For a delightfully decadent sandwich to pair up with this swanky swine-tini, try this recipe:

Swiss Apple Bacon Melt

1 sliced green apple
2 pieces cinnamon raisin pumpernickel bread
4 slices of bacon
2 pieces Swiss cheese

Directions:

Butter bread on one side of each piece
Place a slice of Swiss on one slice of bread.
Add sliced apples and slices of bacon. Top off with second slice of cheese and other piece of bread.
Add butter to sauté pan on medium heat. Add sandwich with butter side of bread into the pan.
Cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Flip sandwich and repeat.

There you have it folks. A rockin’ good start to celebrate International Bacon Day in style! Mark your calendars for International Bacon Day! To help you celebrate this pig-tastic day, grab a delicious bacon bundle of six different kinds of flavored bacon. In this bundle, you will find the Coastal Caliente Jalapeno Bacon and Baby Bubba’s Apple Cinnamon Bacon needed to make your bacon cocktails!

Enjoy the bacon and spread the bacon love!

(Swiss Apple Bacon Recipe: Jahn Kirchoff and Mike Maler of Lane Cafe and Tavern
Visit their website at www.delilane.com)

I heard a rumor that something amazing had been created at the Anchor Bar in Superior, Wisconsin along the south shore of Lake Superior. I was up in the area so I called up the creator (my buddy MattO) and asked him to introduce me to his little invention called The Pancacke Breakfast — a shot of alcohol that tastes like a plate of syrupy pancakes with a side of bacon.

Honestly, I was quite skeptical that the shot would taste anything like pancakes. The ingredients were a secret and all I knew that a tasty strip of bacon was used as garnish. The lovely ladies of the Anchor Bar, Shayla and Bobbie, were ready to introduce me to the new drink and MattO was right there to down the Pancake Breakfast Shot with me.

I watched the preparation of the Pancake Breakfast Shot and was able to jot down what I think is the secret forumla:

50% Butterscotch Liquor
50% Strawberry Schnapps
One tasty strip of bacon

Leave the bacon in the drink for a few mintues to let the flavor soak in and that’s it. I hear it can be served chilled or at room temperature — I tried the latter.

After watching the preparation I remained completely skeptical. How could three simple incredients taste like one of America’s favorite meals? I was about to find out as MattO and I tipped our heads back and pounded down the shots.

WOW! As soon at the Pancacke Breakfast Shot hit my tounge my eyes opened wide. I was pouring a syrupy pancacke into my mouth and munching on a piece of bacon. The Anchor Bar staff got a good chuckle as I stood there completely shocked. MattO has definitely invented a winner here. I give it an off-the-charts Smaste™ rating of 53.228!!!

People, you need to do one of two things and both of them involve getting up off your butt and heading out the door. 1) Get over to the Anchor Bar and have a Pancacke Breakfast Shot at the source or 2) Grab the incredients and make your own Pancake Breakfast Shot. Either way, please take some pictures, shoot some video, and write us to let us know what you think. We’ll be publishing a follow-up article in late November with your stories.

BT fanatic Jono M. wrote in to share an article with us (and you) about a brewery in Brooklyn that has been trying out recipes for bacon beer. You can read the whole article at Grubstreet, but here’s a little taste to whet your whistle…

Holy mother. On Diner’s Journal, Pete Wells hears incredible news from Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver. Dude is currently working on a beer that (1) takes barleywine made from malt that’s smoked in the same room as Allan Benton’s bacon and (2) combines it with brown ale that’s been infused, via “fat washing” (mixing a melted fat with alcohol, then chilling the mixture into a solid and skimming it off), with the taste of Benton’s bacon fat…

Once again, I’m stuck in California while there’s an amazing bacon tasting opportunity elsewhere in the world. Either someone needs to step up and sponsor me so that I can roam the planet tasting all things bacon (I’m open to a TV deal!) or one of our NYC Baconites has to step up, get over there, order up a frosty pint of bacon beer and let us all know how it tastes.

It’s up to you, New York (New York).

– Mike

Photo Credit: Lovingly borrowed from Bacon Haikus

As an added bonus, Sara also sent us the FULL recipe for the bacon BLT created by mixologist Brent Jones of Library at Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO. You’ll find it at the end of Sara’s article.

– Mike

*********************

Ahhh Bacon…a beloved American classic that drums up images of sizzling, crunchy strips accompanying eggs, on a sandwich or in a cobb salad. Not typically thought of as a cool thirst quencher…until now. Brent Jones, a molecular mixologist at the famed Hotel Jerome, A RockResort in Aspen, CO, has taken his love of bacon to a whole new level with his innovative BLT cocktail.

The unique cocktail, which is causing quite a buzz in Aspen, is created with bacon fat washed vodka, fresh juiced organic tomatoes, and a foam lettuce topping. Brent creates the components from scratch.

The inspiration: One evening while tending bar at the recently renovated Library lounge at Hotel Jerome, Brent noticed a new food item on its seasonal menu…A completely organic BLT made with fresh tomatoes, crispy bacon and iceberg lettuce. After serving a few of the sandwiches to patrons during his shift, his BLT craving began. By the end of the night it dawned on him to concoct a drink recipe that breaks down the sandwich into its three main components. What Brent developed was a distinct replica of the BLT flavors combined into one exciting beverage.

– Sara

********************

Bacon Fat Washed Vodka (by Brent Jones)

Fat washing is a method of extracting ?avor from fat, without the greasy texture. I ?rst encountered this method while taking the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) class in New York City.

Ingredients :

1lb of uncooked bacon

750mL vodka

Method :

Cook the bacon, collecting the fat. Dump the vodka into a minimum volume 1 liter container. It should be noted to use a container with a large opening, perhaps a mixing bowl. Heat the bacon fat until it becomes a liquid, and pour it into the bowl containing the vodka. Stir and let the bowl set at room temperature for a minimum of 2 hours. Place the bowl in the freezer for 1 hour to congeal the fat, ?nally strain and ?lter the liquid. A strainer or chinois, and a common coffee ?lter will do the trick.

Tomato Juice

While it seems like a no brainer to use a can of tomato juice or V8, fresh made seasonal tomato juice is well worth the effort.

Ingredients :

1 tomato (or as many as you would like)

Method :

Fill a Large sauce pan ?lled 3/4 full with water, and bring to a very light boil. Blanch the tomato in the hot water for 15 seconds, remove and allow to cool. Peel the tomato using a pairing knife, pulling away the skin. Throw the skinless tomato in a blender or a juice extractor, and strain the juice using a chinois.

Lettuce Air

As a molecular mixologist, I am constantly conducting new experiments on cocktails. Earlier the same day (just prior to the BLT idea) the Hotel Jerome executive chef Chris Keating and I were experimenting with soy lecithin. Lecithin is a phospholipid most commonly used in the culinary ?eld as an emulsi?er and/or to make an air (very similar to a foam). Given this nature, we thought there could be a possible use for it in constructing cocktails.

Ingredients/tools :

4 oz lettuce juice

1/2 tsp soy lecithin

2 oz water

aerolatte milk frother

Method :

Extract the juice from the lettuce using either a blender or a juice extractor. If using a blender, be sure to strain the juice using a chinois. In a container (5 inches wide or larger) combine 4oz lettuce juice + 2 oz water + 1/2 tsp soy lecithin and mix with an aerating device. In this case, the aerolatte milk frother works well. If more air is desired, just add some more soy lecithin to the same solution, and mix.

Making The BLT

Glassware :

Small sherry glass

Ingredients :

1 oz Bacon Fat Vodka

Lettuce Air

2 oz Tomato Juice

Salt & Pepper

Method :

Using 2 mixing glasses, ?ll one with ice. In the empty glass combine a few shakes from both the salt and pepper shakers, the bacon fat vodka, and the tomato juice. Pour the mixture over the other mixing glass containing the ice, and continue to mix by pouring the iced solution back and forth 3 or 4 times. Using a julep or hawthorne strainer, strain the liquid into the sherry glass and top it off with the lettuce air.

*It should be noted, the bacon vodka in a bloody mary cocktail is delicious!!!!

If you’re over 21, drinking is fun. (And if you’re under 21, it’s illegal in the United States, which some would argue makes it more fun, but Bacon Today neither endorses nor condones the drinking of alcohol by our underage readers.)

So…

You’ll all be happy to hear about this new concoction that was dreamed up by one of our readers. Alex C. wrote in to bacontoday[at]gmail[dot]com with this tasty tease…

“I made a ridiculous discovery the other day, a cocktail that tastes like bacon! It’s a shot of tequila, juice of a lime, and 4 shots of coconut milk.”

I predict that one of the following statements is true:

A) The combination of of tequila, lime juice and coconut milk tastes exactly like bacon and should be enjoyed whenever and wherever you get your drink on;

B) Said combination doesn’t really taste like bacon, and Alex was already a little tipsy when he “discovered” this taste combination;

C) Not only does said combination not taste like bacon, but Alex was actually hammered when he tried it out, and in truth the combo is so disgusting that nobody in their right mind would ever want to drink this shot.

It’s my responsibility to Bacon Today and to the Bacon Nation as a whole to test this theory out. I have a bottle of tequila downstairs, but I’m currently out of limes and I don’t happen to have any coconut milk laying around. Thus, my own trial of this shot will have to wait a day or three until I can get to the local grocery store and buy some coconut milk. 

In the interim, I offer you this challenge – try it for yourself and leave a comment here to let us know what you think. Does the Alex C. creation, which I have preemptively named “Liquid Bacon” stand up to its name? Be sure to let us know what kind of tequila/brand of coconut milk you use.

– Mike

On January 31st I wrote about McAuliflower’s unique homemade vodka. It is a delicious drink that, until recently, was only available hidden away in the dark back corners of the pantries of a few adventurous souls who dared try the recipe for themselves. 

Enter Bakon Vodka from Black Rock Spirits. Not since we ratified the 21st Amendment in 1933 has there been such a cause for celebration. No more must you hide your love for the taste of bacon booze in your friends’ basements. 

Sometime in the next two weeks, the bacon vodka-loution will begin in Washington and Oregon. Want to taste it in your home town? Just walk up to the bar and demand, “One shot of Bakon, please!”

– Mr. B

Special thanks to BT reader Tonya C. for submitting the link to Bakon vodka.

A new study was recently conducted that describes a new way to cure a hangover – bacon!

We love this study not just because of its lack of data and absence of cited sources, but also because of the resolute brevity with which the UK Telegraph saw fit to use when sharing it with the world. 

Unless our browser was broken, their entire article reads as follows:

“A bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover – by boosting the level of amines which clear the head, scientists have found.”

Bravo, scientists, wherever you are.

– Mr. B

The process actually sounds kind of easy – you take a few strips of fried bacon, put it in a mason jar with some vodka, lock in in a dark place for a few weeks and then strain it through a coffee filter.

Here’s what it looks like…

She suggests using it for bloody marys or giving it away as a gift. I think that the Double Down Saloon should use it in their Bacon Martinis.

Bacon Vodka Recipe

by McAuliflower of the Brownie Points Blog

Ingredients

3 strips delicious bacon

1 pint vodka

Place the bacon strips in a mason jar and fill with vodka. Cap the jar.

Put the jar into a dark cabinet for 3 weeks.

Move jar to freezer to solidify the fat.

Strain vodka through a coffee filter to remove fat. Bacon vodka will be pale yellow.

Decant into decorative bottles and enjoy.

– Mr. B

That’s not good enough for me, though. I need to know more. Red or White? Cab or Pinot? French? Italian? Israeli? Californian?

Bacon Today will need to launch a full investigation into this statement. Is it as Smastey™ as she claims? Plus, the search is now on for a bacon-infused wine.

I feel a Napa trip coming on…