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Benton's Old Fashioned
Posted: July 18, 2026
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About
Benton's Old Fashioned is the drink that launched a thousand fat-washed cocktails and helped define the modern cocktail renaissance. Created by bartender Don Lee at PDT (Please Don't Tell) in New York City in 2007, it uses bourbon that has been fat-washed with bacon fat from Tennessee's legendary Benton's Smokehouse, producing a spirit that carries a haunting, smoky, pork-fat richness without any actual grease. Maple syrup replaces the traditional sugar, adding Southern warmth and depth. It sounds like a gimmick but tastes like an inspiration — proof that the Old Fashioned template can be endlessly reimagined.
Instructions
- Note: Traditional Benton's Old Fashioned uses bacon-fat-washed bourbon. To make your own, melt 1.5 oz warm Benton's bacon fat into 750ml bourbon, let sit 4 hours, then freeze and strain off the solidified fat.
- Combine bourbon (ideally fat-washed), maple syrup, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well chilled and diluted.
- Strain over a large ice cube into a chilled rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist, expressing the oils over the surface.