I’m certainly not the first person to infuse bacon into alcoholic beverages. A quick search led me to a number of very informative posts by fellow bacon lovers who all seem to use roughly the same process called “fat washing.” Here’s how Southern California mixologist Don Lee describes it.

The fat is actually what makes this infusion possible. Fat is non-polar, while drinking alcohol (40% abv) is mostly water and thus polar. This prevents the fat from being dissolved into the alcohol. The alcohol itself (ethanol), however is both polar and nonpolar, allowing water to be dissolved into itself as well fat soluble compounds. What this means is that flavorful compounds from the fat will transfer into the alcohol while keeping the fat itself separate. This, combined with the higher freezing point of fat v. low freezing point of alcohol makes it possible to solidify the fat in a standard freezer and easy to remove.

Lee uses 1 oz. of rendered bacon fat in a 750ml bottle of bourbon. It’s the same recipe Jacob Grier says PDT uses in New York. You may be confident that you won’t screw up a whole 750ml bottle of bourbon or moonshine. I’m not. So, here’s my recipe that should make at least six cocktails.

Bacon infused Moonshine and Bourbon:

• 4-6 strips of thick hickory smoked bacon
• 6 ounces of bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon) or moonshine or both

Cook the bacon and collect a tablespoon of rendered bacon fat. Pour it into 6 ounces of bourbon or moonshine and let sit for two hours. This is probably a larger ratio of bacon to bourbon or moonshine than other recipes, but I love bacon. You can shove the bacon in your moonshine or your mouth or both. I did both.

After the bacon flavor has been taken by the spirit, pour into a plastic cup and place into the freezer until all the fat solidifies. This may take a few hours. Remove the fat, filter and serve neat or in cocktails that are complimented by a smokey (smokey maple bourbon) flavor.

This 4th of July, declare your independence with a uniquely American white whiskey: moonshine!

For over 200 years, generations of American moonshine makers hid in the shadows from America’s Revolution through the end of Prohibition. American moonshine is the story of our nation’s persistence , determination and love of freedom. It’s America’s story, and it’s time for that story to shine!

Moonshine is an excellent alternative to vodka and gin in some mixed drinks.   Here are a couple to kick off your 4th of July right. Please shine responsibility!

4th of July
1.5 oz. Moonshine
0.5 oz. Triple Sec
0.5 oz. Sweet & Sour mix
0.5 oz. Blue Curacao
1 splash of Grenadine

Shake all ingredients except the Grenadine over ice and pour into a martini glass. Add the Grenadine slowly, allowing it to fall to the bottom.

Picnic
1 oz. watermelon schnapps
1 big splash cranberry juice
1 1/2 oz. Moonshine
1/4 oz. blue curacao
1/2 oz. simple syrup
watermelon cube

Mix watermelon schnapps and cranberry juice in a shaker and pour over ice. Mix the blue curacao and syrup and then slowly pour over the red layer. Garnish with a cube of watermelon.

Here’s a Tennessee twist to an old Champagne cocktail that puts a little kick in your New Year’s celebration.  We call it the Cannon Shiner. It’s based on a nearly 100 year old recipe for the French 75, named for the powerful kick of the French 75mm howitzer gun.

We’ve replaced the gin in this old recipe with a splash of moonshine that adds a Southern kick to any New Year’s toast.

Your choices of retail moonshine might be very limited, but that will change soon enough. If your local retailer doesn’t have moonshine, be sure to ask when they will, and keep searching. Once you have your ingredients, it’s time to pop the cork and get your shine on with good friends!

2 oz. moonshine
1 oz. squeezed lemon juice
1 oz. of simple syrup (or a tbsp. of sugar)
Champagne

Pour the syrup, moonshine and lemon juice in a shaker with enough ice for a drink. Shake for a few seconds and strain into a highball glass. Fill the rest with Champagne, and garnish with a lemon, cherry or orange peel.

From all of us on Short Mountain in Cannon County, Tennessee, have a safe and happy New Year!