Bacon makes everything better, even vodka. Add to it a spicy jalapeno for kicks and it’s delicious revelry! If you love food and drinks that makes your mouth burn and my nose run, like me, this is a perfect vodka recipe for you. The spicier, the better! Make this spicy alcohol for a perfect blood mary or a soda.

I love heat. All forms of it. I love sweating profusely as I lie on the beach and I love wrapping a warm blanket around myself while I lounge on the couch (neither happens often enough). My love for heat applies to food, as well. I love food that makes my mouth burn and my nose run. The spicier, the better!

When I read about the new trend involving infusing vodka with flavor, my first thought was that I wanted to try adding heat as my “flavor.” I researched vodka infusion and found that creating spicy vodka is not uncommon! So, thinking in terms of a good spicy base for a bloody mary, I purchased three of the hottest peppers available at the grocery store and I kindly asked my husband to fry me up some bacon (for some reason, this is always a task he does).

PREPARING BACON & PEPPER INFUSED VODKA

Deliciously hot, you’ll love to sweat through a drink with this combination!

LETS’S GET STARTED –

In a large jar, add:

Two slices of peppered bacon, cooked
1 serrano pepper, halved
1 green chile pepper, halved
1 habanero pepper, halved

I poured vodka over the bacon and peppers until the jar was almost full (somewhere around 32 oz. of vodka). I used a middle shelf vodka. There’s no need to go top shelf, but I tend to stay away from the bottom shelf, as well.

And then I screwed the lid on tight and put the jar in my garage, where it is dark and cool. And dirty. But nevermind the dirty part.

TIPS ABOUT INFUSING THE VODKA

Store the vodka concoction as it absorbs the peppery, meaty flavors for up to 48 hours. If you love spice like I do, 48 hours is the perfect amount of time for the infusion. If you like just a little bit of spice, cut that time back to 24 hours.
Once you are ready to enjoy the flavors of your vodka, place a coffee filter over a hand mesh strainer and pour the vodka through into a glass jar. It’s ready to serve!

At the end of the 48 hours, my concoction SMELLED hot, so I was afraid to taste it. I took a tiny little sip and it was most definitely hot, but also full of flavor! For me, this will always be an addition to Bloody Marys. I don’t plan to drink it alone or mix it with anything else. It is, through and through, a Bloody-Mary-Only Vodka.

Now that you have this amazing vodka prepared, you want to make a bloody mary, am I right? Of course you do!

This is the easy and FUN part!

CREATE THE PERFECT SPICY BLOODY MARY

Fill your mason jar glass with ice and add in this order: bacon and pepper infused vodka, bloody mary mix, pickle juice and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Add desired condiments on a stick and try not to eat them until they are all displayed for aesthetics purposes.

Best served as a brunch cocktail.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR BLOODY MARY

BLOODY MARY GARNISHMENTS

Don’t let this list limit you, the sky’s the limit! Grab a wooden skewer and line one or more up with some of the following:

Olives, Stuffed Olives
Celery, Cucumber Spears, Pickle Spears
Beef Sticks
Pickle spears, Pickled Onions, Pickled Asparagus, Pickled Green Beans
Mozzarella Balls and/or Blue Cheese Cubes

OTHER GREAT COCKTAILS TO SIP ON