Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned

Photo credit: Kiana Bates

This month, Culinary Crafts launched a new YouTube channel called Crafts on the Rocks. In their premiere episode, Ryan, Kaleb, and Bojan, our Director of Bar and Beverages, showed us how to make a unique and delicious cocktail, the Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned.

If you’re not a fan of whiskey, this may be the drink that changes your mind!

Check out the cocktail, along with our new channel, by clicking the video below. Or scroll down and learn all about fat-washed cocktails and how to make a Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned at home.

1. What is Fat Washing?
2. Why Fat Wash a Cocktail?
3. What Fats to Use for Fat Washing.
4. Vegan Fat Washing
5. Recipe for Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned
6. How to Fat Wash Scotch
7. Directions for Assembling a Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned

What is Fat Washing?

Fat washing is a technique used to give cocktails a smoother, silkier taste and mouthfeel. When you add a fat (e.g. butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc.) to a spirit like whiskey or rum, the fat will bind to the tannins or other strong, bitter-tasting chemicals in the spirit. Then, when you strain the fat back out, you will also remove all those overly strong elements, leaving behind the perfect base for a light, delicate-tasting cocktail.

In previous posts, we shared two recipes for cocktails we make with a similar process called milk washing. Click here for our blogs on Milk-washed Apple Cider and Cacao-Bittered and Milk-Washed Antrim.

Why Fat Wash a Cocktail?

Fat washing is one of the easiest ways to kick up your homemade cocktails into the “What in the world is in this amazing drink!“ stratosphere.

Putting fat into a cocktail may not sound all that appetizing at first, but it makes sense when you understand the chemistry. Many alcohols, including wines, contain a family of chemicals called phenols that have a harsh, astringent taste. Any alcohol that has spent time in wooden barrels is likely to contain phenols, as does gin and many other botanical-derived alcohols like apéritifs and aromatic bitters. Smoky mezcals pick up a lot of phenols from the wood-roasting process. But the highest concentrations of phenols are found in whiskey, especially peaty Scotch. The phenols that come from burning peat during the malting process are what give Islay Scotch its characteristic face-puckering, “drinking a campfire” taste.

But phenols add a lot more to a drink than just a smoky, mossy taste. Depending on which phenol compounds are present, you might get secondary notes of citrus or pepper, caramel, vanilla, tobacco, or more. Phenols also add a slightly oily feeling in the mouth that lingers after each sip. If only there were some way to keep that smooth mouthfeel and those complex taste notes while reducing the “licking an ashtray” aspect of phenols.

If only there were some way…

You see where we’re headed?

When you add fat to an alcohol, any phenols and other harsh-tasting chemicals present will naturally bind to the fat. When you filter the fat back out, and it will take all those stringent chemicals with it. What you’re left with is phenol-free alcohol that tastes far less biting or dry (and it often looks noticeably more clear).

Of course, when you lose the phenols from a Scotch, you also lose some of the flavors and mouthfeel for which Scotch is famous. That’s where the genius of fat washing comes in! With fat washing, you aren’t just subtracting chemicals from your alcohol; you can also add others. Depending on what fat you use—or, technically, what aromatic compounds are present in the fat you use—you also infuse subtle flavors into the drink. For example, bacon fat lends smoky, savory notes to your alcohol, while brown butter can add a rich nuttiness.

And what about mouthfeel? Although nearly all of the fat will be removed from your drink when you strain it, miniscule lipid particles will remain in suspension. When you take a sip, those particles will give your tongue a very light coating, making the drink feel rounder and smoother in the mouth.

What Fats to Use for Fat Washing.

Lots of different fats can be used to fat wash a drink successfully, but the first rule is to pick a fat that taste good to you.

Bacon fat is delicious if it’s rendered correctly, but burned bacon fat tastes disgusting, and so do cocktails made with burned bacon fat. Similarly, butter that’s been sitting unwrapped in your fridge is not fit for fat washing. (In fact, it’s not fit for anything. It’s been soaking up odors and tastes from everything else in your fridge. Throw it out!)

Best choices for fat washing:

• Bacon fat – Rich, smoky, savory notes work beautifully in Old Fashioneds and Manhattans.
• Brown butter – Nutty, toasted flavor that’s more subtle and versatile than regular butter.
• Coconut oil – Adds tropical sweetness, great for tequila, vodka, and rum-based drinks.
• Toasted sesame oil – Toasted sesame works in Asian-inspired cocktails, but use it sparingly. It’s potent.
• Duck or chicken fat – Rich, savory depth similar to bacon but more subtle.
• Fats that match or complement the flavor profile of the cocktail base.

Poor choices for fat washing:

• Regular butter – Too mild and waxy; brown butter is far superior.
• Vegetable/canola oil – Flavorless, adds nothing.
• Margarine – Artificial taste, poor results.
• Very hard fats – Difficult to freeze-separate cleanly.
• Fats that are liquid at room temperature – Difficult to separate. Placing the mixture in the freezer overnight can make separation possible, but it’s tricky.

Vegan Fat Washing.

You’ll notice that several of the fats recommended above are vegan-friendly. Other non-animal fats that work well for fat-washing include

• Nut oils (walnut, hazelnut, pecan) – Excellent flavor carriers. These add nutty, roasted complexity to whiskey or bourbon alternatives.
• Olive oil – High-quality, fruity olive oil can add interesting herbal, peppery notes to gin, vodka, or agave spirits.
• Cocoa butter – Can be tricky to separate because it’s a hard fat, but it works if you’re patient. Freeze it overnight before separating it out. It adds rich chocolate notes to dessert cocktails.
• Avocado oil – Mild, buttery, slightly grassy. More subtle than olive oil. Works well when you want texture without strong flavor.
• Nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew) – These are thicker, so they require more stirring during infusion, but the freeze separation still works.
• Cacao nib/infused coconut oil – This involves two separate washings but creates amazing chocolate-forward flavors.

Be aware that some plant oils have lower melting points, so give them a full 24 hours in the freezer to ensure clean separation.

Photo credits: Kayle Canaan

Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned

(makes one cocktail)

Equipment

• Glass jar
• Coffee filter
• rocks glass with a large ice cube
• components to smoke a cocktail with oak wood chips

Ingredients

• 2 oz McClelland’s Highland Single Malt Scotch (fat-washed as per “Directions for Fat-Washing Scotch” below)
• 0.5 oz maple syrup
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• orange peel for garnish
• 1 large ice cube

Directions for Fat-Washing Scotch

1. Measure out the amount of McClelland’s Highland Single Malt Scotch you want to wash. For each cocktail serving you want to make, you’ll need to fat wash 2 oz. of Scotch.
2. Pour your desired amount of Scotch into a glass jar. Add 1 oz. (2 Tbsp) of melted bacon fat for every 4 oz. of Scotch. (For example, 2 cocktails=4 oz. of Scotch=1 oz. (2 Tbsp) bacon fat.) Stir to combine.
3. Allow the mixture to infuse at room temperature, preferably for 24 hours. Place the jar in the fridge overnight.
4. Scrape off solidified fat. Strain out any remaining fat solids through a paper coffee filter (which has been pre-rinsed with water to prevent giving the Scotch a papery taste). Discard the fat solids.

Directions for Assembling Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned Cocktail

1. In a mixing glass, pour 2 oz fat-washed Scotch over ice.
2. Add 0.5 oz maple syrup and 2 dashes of bitters. Stir 5-10 seconds.
3. Strain into rocks glass over a large ice cube. Express orange peel.
4. Smoke the cocktail and garnish with orange peel.

Want to serve a Smoking Bacon Fat-Washed Old Fashioned at your next event? If you’re looking for luxury catering in Utah, contact us to discuss the custom cocktail menu we can design for you.