Brunch is always a highlight of any foodie’s weekend, and cocktails — classic a.m. drinks like mimosas and Bloody Marys — are a prime part of that late-morning meal.
But venture away from one of those traditional brunch cocktails in favor of one like the Texas Breakfast, which breaks out the whiskey to deliver a good morning indeed. The drink comes topped with candied bacon, making it practically as necessary as the full-course feast served alongside it.
Texas Breakfast
1 oz. Yellow Rose Rye (or comparable rye)
1/2 oz. brown sugar simple syrup
1/2 oz. maple syrup
Mezcal to wash
1 to 2 oz. sparkling apple cider
Garnish 1 cinnamon stick and 1 strip candied bacon (see below)
Pour a very small amount of mezcal in a rocks glass, swirl until the interior is coated and discard the mezcal.
Add ice, Yellow Rose Rye, brown sugar simple syrup and maple syrup in a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into mezcal-washed glass.
Top with sparkling apple cider. Garnish with cinnamon stick and candied bacon. Serve with short straw.
Candied Bacon
4 strips Applewood smoked bacon
8 oz. water
16 oz. sugar
Bring water to a boil in a small pot and add sugar. Stir until dissolved and remove from heat.
On a small sheet pan, place 4 strips of Applewood smoked bacon in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes at 350˚F. The bacon should be slightly charred. Adjust time and temperature as needed.
Remove bacon, dry with paper towel, and stick in the freezer for 5 minutes. By this time, the water and sugar mixture (simple syrup) should be thickened. Dip the bacon in until covered and repeat.
— Sean Downey, director of food and beverage at Lone Star Court
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