A Guide to Fat-Washing Spirits and Cocktails

In 2007, bartender Don Lee was tasked to riff on the Old Fashioned at PDT (Please Don’t Tell), the influential cocktail bar hidden inside a hot dog joint in New York City’s East Village. His solution: smoky ham.

Lee combined a bottle of bourbon with liquified fat from Benton’s Smoky Mountain country ham and popped it in the freezer. In the morning, he strained out the gunk, and added bitters and maple syrup. A star was born. 

The Benton’s Old Fashioned, a rich, savory riff on the classic whiskey cocktail, is now considered a modern classic. The ham-infused drink helped kick off the fat-washing craze in craft cocktails.

Fat washing, the technique to infuse a spirit with fats or oils, can be found in cocktail bars across the globe. Bartenders have explored a range of ingredients and spirits, from chorizo mezcal to al pastor Daiquiris and pistachio gins to coconut tequilas. 

Here’s everything you need to know about fat washing, including how to make your own bacon-infused Old Fashioned.

What is fat washing?

Fat washing is a process where fats and oils (like butter, bacon fat, or coconut oil) are added to a spirit to impart flavor and texture. 

“Typically, the fat is combined with the spirit and left to infuse for several hours, or up to several days,” says LeQoinne Rice, master mixologist and co-founder of Chicago’s For The People Hospitality. “Then the mixture is chilled. The fat will solidify and rise to the top, making it easy to strain off.” What’s left behind is an entirely new spirit.

Florian Thireau, director of mixology at Bar Crenn, the cocktail bar from Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn, describes fat-washing as a sophisticated culinary technique that allows bartenders to create complex “liquid experiences.” 

Fat washing can be more involved than your typical cocktail crafting, but according to many bartenders, it’s worth the effort. “Fat washing enhances texture, elevates flavors, and curates innovation,” says Rice. 

What does fat-washing add to a drink?

The fat-washing process allows for the exploration of flavors and textures beyond your standard spirits and liqueurs. 

“One of the reasons we fat-wash our spirits is that it allows us to create complex flavors relatively easily,” says Ian Mendelsohn, beverage director of Fifth Group Restaurants. He prefers to use coconut to impart a creaminess to tiki-style drinks without having to add coconut cream. 

At New York City’s Superbueno, bartender Nacho Jimenez adds mole to mezcal to add depth to a Negroni. At Toronto’s Civil Works, the brine factor in a Dirty Martini is intensified by washing gin in blue cheese. 

“Fat washing gives a spirit a distinct taste of fats, which are hard to replicate with other flavoring methods,” says Rice. “These flavors add a savory depth or a creamy richness that complements or contrasts other ingredients in a cocktail.”

Thireau likes to infuse rum with coconut oil to give his Espresso Martini a fluffier, latte texture. “It introduces a luxurious, velvety dimension to spirits, creating a silky mouthfeel that elevates the drinking experience,” he says. “[Fat-washing gives a drink] depth, smoothness, and an unexpected textural sophistication that transforms an ordinary cocktail into an extraordinary sensory journey.”

Fat washing has benefits beyond flavor. It can be a way to use leftover ingredients. 

“I am a fan of using ingredients twice,” says Marshall Minaya, beverage director of Madame George and Lolita in New York City. If the kitchen is cooking bacon, he’ll take the fat to wash into drinks. “It helps save cost and reduces waste.”

Krissy Harris, co-owner and beverage director of Shy Shy and Jungle Bird in New York City, agrees with this sustainable approach. “I used to own a bar that did a killer brunch, and we always had leftover bacon drippings,” she says. “I couldn’t stand to just toss it, so I fat-washed a bourbon with leftover drippings. It made an amazing Bloody Mary.”

Fat washing can also elevate a budget spirit into something with more elegance, intrigue, and complexity. A bottom-shelf bourbon can be elevated by brown butter or bacon fat, while a flabby rum can add texture and depth through coconut oil. 

The technique is also an excellent time-saver for instant batched cocktails. When guests come over, simply grab a glass, add bitters and a sliver of citrus, and serve.  

“It’s a method to make things quicker and easier on your build,” says Minaya. “You can impart flavor, aroma, and body to your cocktail without having to do anything à la minute at the bar, or your home.”

How are bartenders implementing fat-washing?

There’s no single way to fat-wash your cocktails. You can follow Lee’s example and add bacon fat to your bourbon. “It adds a smoky, savory flavor,” says Rice. Alex Howard, bar manager and beverage director of Martha My Dear, prefers to wash his Old Fashioned in brown butter. 

Most bartenders’ advice is to look to a fat that can add a variety of flavors and textures to a drink. 

“Butter provides a rich, creamy texture and flavor, suitable for rum or bourbon,” says Rice. “Coconut oil offers a tropical, nutty flavor, great with rum or tequila. Duck fat delivers a deep, savory taste in whiskey or brandy. Olive oil adds a fruity, slightly bitter note with gin or vodka, and peanut butter or other nut oils impart a nutty flavor, ideal for whiskey or rum.”

Mendelsohn uses olive oil to wash a Martini and adds pecans to wash rye. He finds that both contribute richness to the palate. “One of my favorites is when we use coconut oil,” he says. “You are transported to that beach.”

From there, the possibilities seem endless. 

“At Shy Shy, I infuse vodka with extra-virgin olive oil for our Caesar Martini, which adds grassy notes and gives it a silkiness that softens the alcohol bite,” says Harris. 

Mendelsohn washes Cognac with wood-fired pineapple at Ecco. At Alma Cocina, he washes mezcal with roasted mushrooms for an umami burst, and he preserves spring strawberries by washing them with vermouth.

“Fat washing allows the preservation of delicate flavors, such as fresh herbs, by infusing them into fat, ensuring remarkable flavor integrity and complexity,” says Thireau.

At Denver’s Deviation Distilling, fat washing is a staple. Gin for a Martini is washed in feta and olive oil. A Mango Lassi gets a lift from gin washed in pistachio, while Sesame State of Mind employs gin washed in sesame oil, alongside flavors of lemongrass, ginger, and Thai chili. 

At Husk Savannah, bartenders wash mezcal with duck fat and then add orange, coriander, and smoked salt. And at New York City’s The Corner Store, the Sour Cream & Onion Martini is gin washed in cream and mixed with tangy spring onion and dill.

Ready to try fat washing? Here’s what you need to know

“When fat-washing at home, try to stay as simple as possible,” says Minaya. Aim for easy cocktails, like Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, or Martinis, and start with just a few ounces of bacon fat, olive oil, or peanut butter. “Then, add a cup, or cup-and-a-half, of spirit. Place together and freeze for 12 hours [or overnight]. Strain out via a fine strainer or coffee filter,” he says. 

If you have sous vide equipment, use it. “By cooking fat elements directly with spirits in a sous vide bag at carefully controlled lower temperatures, mixologists can ensure unprecedented consistency in time, temperature, and measurement,” says Thireau. “This approach also prevents the fat from burning, which can introduce undesirable flavors and compromise the infusion’s quality.”