Bacon Is Not For Drinking

At least not in the form I tasted yesterday...

A Friday night discussion about bacon beer at the Brooklyn Brewery revealed there were bacon martinis to be had back in good ol' Manahatta. I obsessed and instigated Sunday afternoon adventure to the East Village's Double Down Saloon, the outpost of the Las Vegas club I'd seen on a travel show...serving bacon martinis.

It turns out Double Down's martinis are actually bacon-infused vodka. There were two bottles of vodka with bacon strips sitting on the bar (which immediately reminded me of my friend Ken's dead snake liquor from Southeast Asia...). The bartender didn't know what kind of bacon was in the bottle, only that it was a high-quality variety that offered a better infusion. Although I was weary, I persevered and placed my order.

First sip: Interesting, but not at all what I expected (though I didn't really know what I expected). Smoky. Porky. A little maple? Lots of vodka. Weird. Bizarre. Like nothing I'd ever had. Kind of interesting, but...

I took another sip. Then another. And then I realized I'd never be able to finish it. As much as I love bacon, this was not drinkable, at least to me (the bartender said people either love it or hate it). So, at Tommy's suggestion, I turned the 'tini into a Bloody Mary. Much better. But the damage had been done...I think I still taste it more than 24 hours later.

Post-drink discussion brought up an alternate pork beverage idea: Vodka martini with a skewer of lardons. Might work?

Double Down Saloon is at 14 Avenue A, north of Houston. The Bloody Marys are fabulous.