Fat washing — combining a liquid fat with a neutral spirit (vodka, gin base, or bourbon), allowing the fat's aromatic compounds to infuse into the alcohol, then freezing and removing the solidified fat — produces a spirit that carries the fat's aromatic compounds without any of its mouthfeel. The technique was developed to infuse bacon fat into bourbon (the most famous application — Don Lee at Please Don't Tell in New York, 2007).
- **The principle:** Aromatic compounds from fats (butter, olive oil, nut oil, rendered animal fat) are more soluble in alcohol than in water. By combining warm fat with a spirit, allowing infusion, then chilling the mixture until the fat solidifies and can be removed, the aromatic compounds remain in the alcohol. - **The fat to spirit ratio:** Approximately 100–150ml fat per 750ml spirit. [VERIFY] Modernist Cuisine's specific ratio recommendations. - **Infusion time:** 4–6 hours at room temperature, or overnight — the fat must be warm enough to remain liquid throughout. - **Freezing:** The combined fat-spirit mixture placed in the freezer for 2+ hours. The fat solidifies (fat freezes at a higher temperature than alcohol solution); the clarified infused spirit is strained through a coffee filter. - **Applications:** Cultured butter-washed vodka for dirty martinis; parmesan-washed bourbon; sesame oil-washed sake; rendered pork fat-washed rye.
Modernist Cuisine