So, here’s an opportunity to take your home bartending game from “pretty good” to “I should probably start charging my friends for this”? Enter fat washing.

It sounds a little scientific, and maybe slightly unappetizing if you’ve never heard of it, but fat washing is a simple way to give your whiskey a silky texture and a massive flavor punch. It’s the secret weapon of high-end speakeasies, and it’s surprisingly easy to pull off in your own kitchen.

Where Did This Come From?

While infusing alcohol is an ancient practice, the specific “fat washing” craze started in the mid-2000s in New York City. We owe the technique to a bartender named Don Lee at the legendary East Village bar PDT (Please Don’t Tell).

In 2007, Lee wanted to create a drink that tasted like a liquid breakfast. He took inspiration from perfumers, who have used a process called enfleurage (using fat to extract scents from flowers) for centuries. He combined smoky Benton’s bacon grease with Four Roses Bourbon, and the Benton’s Old Fashioned was born. It became an instant icon, proving that savory, fatty flavors had a permanent home in the cocktail glass.

What Exactly Is Fat Washing?

In short: It’s an infusion technique where you add a liquid fat (like butter, bacon grease, or coconut oil) to a spirit, let it sit for a bit, and then freeze it.

Because alcohol and fat don’t mix, the fat solidifies at the top in the freezer. You skim it off, and what’s left behind is whiskey that has “borrowed” all the aromatics and savory notes of the fat, plus a luscious, velvety mouthfeel. It rounds out the sharp edges of the alcohol and makes your Old Fashioned feel like a luxury experience.

The “How-To”

You don’t need a lab coat. Here is the basic workflow for a standard 750ml bottle of bourbon or rye:

• Melt It: Melt about 2 to 4 ounces of your chosen fat. Brown butter is a crowd favorite because it adds a nutty, toasted note, while bacon fat provides a salty, smoky kick.
• Mix It: Pour your whiskey into a wide-mouthed jar and add the melted fat. Give it a good shake.
• Rest It: Let it sit at room temperature for about 4 to 6 hours. This is where the magic happens and the flavors bond.
• Freeze It: Pop the jar in the freezer overnight. The fat will turn into a hard “puck” at the top.
• Strain It: Poke a hole in the fat layer, pour the whiskey out through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to catch any stray bits, and pour it back into the bottle.

The Result

When you stir up that Old Fashioned, you’ll notice it has a weight to it that a standard cocktail lacks. It coats the tongue and lingers longer. If you use bacon-washed rye, try using maple syrup instead of plain sugar to lean into that “pancake breakfast” vibe. If you use brown butter, a dash of black walnut bitters will make it taste like a liquid cookie.

It’s basically the “weighted blanket” of the cocktail world… comforting, rich, and sophisticated.  Many restaurants will even serve this smoked.  The first dozen I’ve had were smoked.  Now, I think I’ll just have it as is. The smoke can sometimes take away from the flavor.  But try it both ways and see what serves your palate. Either way, enjoy!