Cocktail of the month: Bacon Bloody Mary

In the month of spooks, where cinemas are rolling out horror movie after horror movie and party stores are vamping up on frightening costumes, masks and all sorts of Halloween paraphernalia, it only makes sense that the cocktail you lap up on during this month follows the theme to a T.

We love our bacon and while having it in a drink may just sound a little odd, we can trust Zachary Connor de Git, William Grant & Sons Regional Portfolio Ambassador for Southeast Asia, to deliver a tasteful potion of alcohol worth serving to guests for a sppok-fest night in – it’s frighteningly delicious.

Bacon Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

2 ounce Bacon infused Reyka
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
5 ounces Bloody Mary mix

For the Bloody Mary mix:

6 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon crushed capers
6 ounces Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces fresh lemon juice
2 ounces olive brine
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
2 teaspoons Tobasco sauce
8 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish

For bacon-infused Reyka:

Add 2 ounce hot bacon fat to 750 ml of Reyka in a non-reactive container. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2-4 hours. Freeze and remove solidified bacon fat. Strain Reyka through cheesecloth to remove any remaining sediment. Bottle and refrigerate.

Method:

Roll drink with ice until cold and pour into chilled pint glass.
Garnish with 2 olives and a lemon wedge on a pick.

Zachary’s Note:

In the spirit of Halloween, this month I’m sharing Reyka’s take on the classic Bloody Mary. The bacon component may sound scary but boy is it delicious, and it’s also the perfect savoury balance to all that sweet candy. So go ahead and make up a big batch of this for your Halloween party, I dare you.

Tarandip Kaur