Now that Grieg is an official host on Foodwhirl, I’m updating his old posts to show they are by him. – Dot

To start off Bacon Week* here at Foodwhirl, our lovely friend Grieg brings us another of his Easy Entertaining Cocktails…

Per Grieg:  “My friends seem to have an obsession with bacon, so i searched the web** for drinks and here is my version of a Candied Bacon Martini.”  He did want me to assure everyone that the bacon was a garnish, and not actually part of the drink…not that there’s anything wrong with that!

Candied Bacon

You’ll need:  Bacon (1-2 strips per martini), brown sugar (enough to coat both sides of the bacon), a baking sheet covered in foil for easy cleanup, a toaster oven or regular oven preheated to 400F

Simply take smoked bacon and smother it in brown sugar.  Then layout the strips on your baking sheet, and place in oven.
I am not a fan of a greasy mess or heating up my entire oven, so i did 4 strips in the toaster oven under the broiler, for at least 15 minutes, until the sugar was bubbly and carmelized, and the bacon cooked.

Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool and harden.

Martini

3 shots vodka
2 shots Applejack brandy
1 shot amaretto liqueur
1 shot maple syrup warmed to thin out, preferably grade “B”,

Combine all liquids in a shaker over ice. Shake until combined and chilled. Strain into martini glasses and garnish with a slice of candied bacon.

This would also be a fabulous warmed drink, maybe for a Sunday Brunch.

Thanks for sharing this, Grieg! We love it, and it’s a great way to kick off Bacon Week! Stay tuned for other interesting bacon inspirations all week long!

*Got something we need to see for Bacon Week? Let us know!
**recipe found at this LA Times story