Maple Bacon Old Fashioned

There’s something truly special about a Maple Bacon Old Fashioned, a cocktail that perfectly balances the rich, smoky flavor of bacon with the sweet warmth of maple syrup. To make a Maple Bacon Old Fashioned, you need 2 ounces of bourbon, 1/2 ounce of maple syrup, and a few dashes of bitters. Garnish with a crispy piece of maple-glazed bacon for an added touch that elevates this drink to an entirely new level.

Imagine enjoying this delightful cocktail at a home gathering. It’s guaranteed to impress your guests and spark conversations. In my home kitchen bar, the key to perfection has always been in the details: making sure the bacon is just right and using a high-quality maple syrup.

As with any drink, practice makes perfect. You might find that experimenting with different bourbons or tweaking the maple syrup quantity helps you achieve a taste that’s uniquely yours. Mix up a few for friends and watch how quickly this drink becomes the star of the evening. Cheers!

Gathering Your Ingredients

Creating a top-notch Maple Bacon Old Fashioned requires attention to detail in selecting the right bourbon, understanding the bitters, and choosing your maple syrup and bacon.

Selecting the Perfect Bourbon

The foundation of your cocktail is the bourbon. It’s essential to choose a high-quality bourbon that complements the sweet and savory elements of maple syrup and bacon. Opt for bourbons with caramel, vanilla, and oak notes. Brands like Woodford Reserve or Buffalo Trace are great choices.

Keep in mind the proof of the bourbon. Higher proof bourbons (above 90 proof) tend to offer a stronger, more robust flavor, which can stand up to the bold ingredients. Typically, 2 ounces of bourbon are used in the cocktail.

Understanding the Role of Bitters

Bitters are crucial as they balance the sweetness of maple syrup and the smokiness of the bacon. For a Maple Bacon Old Fashioned, you’ll need Angostura bitters and orange bitters. Angostura bitters add a complex, aromatic flavor, while orange bitters bring a touch of citrus brightness.

The usual ratio is 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters. This combination accentuates the flavors without overpowering the drink. Having the right balance in bitters ensures your cocktail isn’t too sweet or too bitter.

Choosing the Right Maple Syrup and Bacon

Maple syrup and bacon bring the unique twist to this Old Fashioned. Pure maple syrup is highly recommended over pancake syrup because it provides a richer, more authentic flavor. Around 0.25 ounces to 0.5 ounces of maple syrup is typically used to avoid making the drink overly sweet.

When it comes to bacon, thick-cut, smoked bacon works best. It should be crispy for garnishing, but with enough fat to infuse the bourbon if you’re making a bacon-washed bourbon. At home, bake the bacon to keep it flat and crispy or use a stovetop method if preferred.

I once had a guest who complained about greasy bacon in his drink. Since then, I’ve made sure to thoroughly drain and pat dry the bacon to keep the cocktail clean and enjoyable.

Creating Your Maple Bacon Old Fashioned

This delightful cocktail combines the smoky-sweet goodness of bacon with rich maple syrup and classic bourbon. You’ll need to prepare the bacon-infused bourbon first, then mix and serve the perfect cocktail.

Preparing the Bacon-Infused Bourbon

To infuse your bourbon with bacon flavor, you’ll start with a process called fat washing. Cook some slices of bacon until they are crispy, reserving the rendered bacon fat. For a 750ml bottle of bourbon, use about 4 tablespoons of bacon fat.

Once you have your bacon fat, let it cool to room temperature. Pour your bourbon into a mixing glass and add the cooled bacon fat. Give it a good stir. Then, transfer the mixture to a jar and seal it tightly.

Place the jar in the freezer for several hours or overnight. The fat will solidify on top while the bourbon absorbs the smoky bacon flavor. After freezing, use a strainer to remove the solidified fat. Run the bourbon through a coffee filter if any small bits remain. Store your filtered, bacon-infused bourbon in the fridge.

Mixing and Serving the Cocktail

Now that you have your bacon-infused bourbon, it’s time to make the cocktail. In a mixing glass, combine 2 ounces of bacon-infused bourbon, 0.5 ounces of maple syrup, and a few dashes of Angostura bitters. Fill the glass with ice cubes and stir until well-chilled.

Strain the mixture over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a strip of bacon or an orange peel twist for an extra touch of elegance. Serve immediately and enjoy.

One tip: make sure your ice cubes are fresh and clear. Cloudy ice can affect the taste of your cocktail. A little trick I use at home is boiling the water before freezing it to ensure crystal-clear ice.

There you have it—the perfect blend of smoky, sweet, and boozy in one glass. Cheers to mastering the Maple Bacon Old Fashioned!