*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)

Sadly, I don’t think that Congress has officially designated International Bacon Day as a bank holiday yet (They’re too busy arguing about healthcare for all the U.S. Americans and the Iraq.) But since we get Labor Day off, I think it’s totally within our right to claim Labor Day as an extention of Internation Bacon Day. Let’s make it real by going out there and making it real.

Write a letter to your Congressional Rep (please don’t) and scream out for the National acceptance of bacon! Better yet, go to your local grocer and stimulate the heck out of their bacon fridge (by buying all their bacon.)

Or, just go to http://internationalbaconday.blogspot.com/ and buy an International Bacon Day T-shirt like this:

– Mike

“(International) Bacon Day is held on the Saturday before Labor Day US (the first Monday of Sep.). This year that is the 30th of August.”

Heck, there’s even an International Bacon Day t-shirt. I’ve got mine. Do you have yours?

Thanks to everyone in the Bacon Pen for helping to make this day a reality:

• Ben
• Seth
• Alexa
• Sara FB