I have a less than healthy obsession with bacon. You could say the same about my drinking. Since I have been at home on house arrest for the last few months, I've had time to explore new ways to be creative. The culmination of my interests and my situation, is that I have learned how to baconize alcohol. This is an installment of my list of favorite bacon-infused liquors, how to make them and how to use your newly modified spirits to make unique versions of classic cocktails:

Bacon-Infused Vodka

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Making bacon-infused vodka is relatively easy, albeit time consuming process. In order to properly execute this infusion you will need some time. Therefore, it is best to plan ahead, about three weeks ahead. And, this is how you do it: Cook three to four pieces of bacon in a frying pan. Once cooked, add bacon to a clean pint sized mason jar. Trim the ends of the bacon if they are too tall to fit in the jar. You could also go hog wild pile in a bunch of fried up bacon scraps. Optional: add crushed black peppercorns. Fill the jar up with Vodka. Cap and place in a dark cupboard for at least three weeks. At the end of the three week resting period, place the bacon vodka in the freezer to solidify the fats. Strain out the fats through a coffee filter to yield a clear-filtered, pale yellow bacon vodka. Decant into bottles and enjoy (Makes one pint of vodka). Badda-bing badda-boom. 

Recipe courtesy of Brownie Points

The Bacontini

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Now that you have your bacon-infused vodka, it's time to try out making a cocktail. A bacontini, is for the serious bacon-lover, who perfers to relish the Vodka's rich bacony flavor. Here is how you make the Bacontini:

1. Lightly mist martini glass with vermouth, and rim the edge with a bacon grease.

2. In a cocktail shaker, mix 3oz bacon-infused vodka, one dash tobasco, and one dash olive juice.

3. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. 4. Skim excess bacon grease from surface of coctail.

Recipe courtesy of Just Add Bacon

The Bacon Bloody Mary

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The Bacon Bloody Mary is a more mild drink that most any one could appreciate, bacon enthusiast or not. I'd suggest you give this to someone without telling him/her that you used bacon-infused vodka. Only after they are blown away should you tell them about your dirty little secret.

1. Add 2oz bacon infused vodka, 8oz tomato juice, 1 tsp horseradish, 1 tsp lemon juice, 4 dashes tobasco, 4 dashes of Worcester to cocktail shaker with ice cubes.

2. Shake well. Strain mixture over the ice cubes in a highball glass.

3. Add one pinch pepper and one pinch celery salt.

4. Squeeze a lime slice over the drink and garnish with a bacon slice. * The Coup De Grace: garnish glass with bacon salt. 

Recipe courtesy of The Examiner

Bacon-Infused Bourbon

Source: Flickr

Unlike it's vodka counterpart, Bacon-infused bourbon can be made on the day it is needed. Just think, in just a few short hours after reading this, you too could be enjoying bacon-infused bourbon. Here's how you do it: Cook three to four slices of bacon, enough to render 1 ounce of fat. Once the bacon has cooled a bit, pour off one ounce from the pan. Pour bourbon into a non-porous container. Strain the bacon fat into the container and infuse for four to six hours at room temperature. Place mixture in freezer until all the fat is solidified. With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain mixture back into bottle. 

The Old Fashioned

Source: Flickr

This is without a doubt my favorite of the bacon-infused cocktails. The bacon is a nice compliment to the bourbon which I typically don't drink (I prefer whiskey). It takes away most of the bourbon's bite, and gives it a rich smokiness.

1. In mixing glass, stir 2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup and bitters with ice.

2. Strain into chilled rocks glass filled with ice.

3. Garnish with orange twist

The good people at NY Mag and Please Don't Tell got together to make an informative video on bacon-infused bourbon.

Instructions and Recipe courtesy of NY Mag Like I said, this is just the first installment of how to infuse liquors with bacon, and expect a few more. Definitely feel free to submit your favorites to the comments section and we'll add 'em to the next installment.

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