It had to happen sooner or later. Bacon enthusiasts, ever insatiable in their quest for everything bacon, can now belly on up to the bar for a bacon cocktail made from Bakon Vodka.
Produced by Black Rock Spirits in Seattle, this potato-based premium vodka was designed to replace the homemade versions that amateur and professional mixologists have been infusing since the bacon craze began.
The difference? It’s vegan! And fat free! The difficult thing about extracting the flavor from real bacon is that a greasy film often lingers long after the meat has been strained out. This unpleasant, tongue-coating texture is compounded by the fact that most cocktails are served icy cold, much colder than the point at which fat coagulates. To solve this problem, the gang at Black Rock had a flavor company match their ideal bacon flavor profile and reproduce it chemically.
The result? A clean, meaty-tasting spirit with a hint of smoke. Now, what to swizzle with it?
The Internet is rife with postings about Meatinis, Bakon Marys and other porky beverages. Tommy Reimer, bar manager at The Piggery in Chicago, is enthusiastic about using Bakon Vodka in its signature bloody mary. “Bacon goes great with everything. We are playing around with a chocolate bacon martini too.”
For the cocktail we created, we chose to honor the origins of our bacon romance: breakfast. The Sunday Breakfast combines Bakon Vodka, pure maple syrup, cream and Kahlua in a homage to our favorite meal. It calls up the evocative aromas of pancakes browning on the griddle, coffee brewing and, of course, bacon sizzling in a cast iron pan. Adventurous protein seekers might add egg white for a foamier result.
The existence of Bakon Vodka suggests a foray into experimentation with our favorite bacon recipes. Penne alla Bacon Vodka? Cobb salad with Bakon ranch dressing? Or perhaps just a rare blue cheese burger paired with a chilled shot of Bakon. However you do it, here’s a toast to fat-free bacon imbibing.
Sunday Breakfast
Makes: 1 cocktail
1 1/2 ounces Bakon Vodka
1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 egg white, optional
1 strip bacon, cooked crisp
Shake well all ingredients except bacon in an ice-filled cocktail shaker; strain into a chilled up glass. Garnish with one slice crispy bacon draped over the glass, or curled and skewered.
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