So guess what J. Walter Thompson’s marketing agency thinks is up and coming for 2010? Their official trend-spotting list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010 places “Bacon Everywhere” at number 7. Bacon popular?  Like duh! Could have told you that myself. So could Red Kitchen and Bar. This fashionable dining/drinking hot spot located in The Hyatt Regency St. Louis put a Bacon Old Fashioned on their drink menu when they first opened in July of 2009.  I actually don’t drink bourbon, but friends who do tell me that Red’s new fangled old fashioned rocks—or maybe that was on the rocks. Regardless, “Bacon Everywhere” is not just a trend to watch.  Are you kidding! Bottoms up!

RED’S BACON OLD FASHIONED

1 thin slice orange

1 maraschino cherry

1/4 ounce maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 ounces bacon-infused Jack Daniel’s

Ice

Splash club soda

Squeeze orange and put in an old-fashioned glass. Add cherry and maple syrup. Muddle lightly. Add bacon infused bourbon. Fill glass with ice and top with club soda.

TO INFUSE BOURBON WITH BACON

Fry 3 to 4 slices of bacon to render fat. Reserve or eat bacon (you won’t need it) and strain the bacon fat into a non-porous container. Pour a 750ml bottle of Jack Daniel’s over fat in container and set aside for 6 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate mixture for about 12 hours or until fat solidifies, then remove fat from bourbon and strain the bourbon back into the bottle.