Fat-washed cocktails are mixing up Sacramento bar scene. What do they taste like?
Outside the tropical haze of a piña colada, fat might seem like the last thing you’d want in a cocktail. But for nearly 20 years, bartenders have quietly been “fat washing” spirits — a technique that brings savory flavors and velvety textures into the glass.
The process is deceptively simple. A fat — think bacon grease, brown butter, even olive oil — is mixed into a spirit and left to infuse for several hours. Afterward, the mixture is chilled, allowing the fat to solidify and separate.
What’s left behind is a clarified, strained spirit that retains the essence of the fat, lending depth of flavor and a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel.
While not new, fat washing has been making a subtle comeback. Lately, Sacramento-area restaurants have been slipping these rich, infused spirits into cocktail menus with growing frequency.
Intrigued? Here are a few spots where you can sample the flavor of fat-washed spirits in a glass:
Good Neighbor
The newest addition to the Urban Roots empire of restaurants, Good Neighbor’s bar program includes a Tallow-Washed Old-Fashioned ($17) that pairs beef fat-washed bourbon, hay liqueur and Spanish botanical liqueur Licor 43.
“The tallow is rendered from the brisket we make in-house over at Urban Roots. We fry up some rosemary, thyme and black pepper in that tallow,” says bar manager Justin Sheffey.
“We dump some overproof whiskey in it, let it sit for 24 hours in the freezer. Once you pull that fat off, you’ve got this nice, silky-smooth whiskey with all that lovely flavor.”
Alpeggio is a hay liqueur produced by Cappelletti in the northern Italian province of Trentino; it has grassy and floral notes, as well as hints of green tea, chocolate, and cinnamon.
A Spanish botanical liqueur, Licor 43 brings notes of citrus and vanilla. The combined result is deeply complex and satisfying.
Address: 1701 R St., midtown Sacramento
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Phone number: 916-758-6194
Website: goodneighbor916.com
The Green Room
Contemporary fern bar the Green Room in East Sacramento is currently shaking up a cocktail called Autumn Hog ($18). It’s a mix of bacon fat-washed bourbon and apple brandy, apple-maple syrup, Angostura Bitters and black walnut bitters, served over a large cube with a petite crisp of bacon perched on top.
The result is smoky, delicately sweet, and full of cozy autumnal vibes. The bacon is a nod to their sister restaurant, Bacon & Butter.
Address: 3839 J St., East Sacramento
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
Phone number: 916-475-1801
Website: thegreenroomsac.com
Hawks Public House
Regular diners at Hawks will be familiar with the bar’s propensity for adventurous, even occasionally challenging flavors. Currently on the menu, the Silken Spy ($16) riffs on James Bond’s favorite cocktail, the Vesper.
Classically a martini-like mix of gin, vodka and dry vermouth, Hawks pumps up the botanical notes in the gin by infusing it with toasted fennel and olive oil, imparting a subtle sweetness and a gentle tingle that lingers on the back palate.
Contrary to 007’s preferences, this bracer is stirred, not shaken.
Mobile cocktail catering service Farmer’s Daughter Mobile Bar recently also recently made olive oil-infused cocktails for a private event with local producer Corto Olive Co.
Address: 1525 Alhambra Blvd., East Sacramento
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; happy hour 2:30-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; dinner 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday
Phone number: 916-588-4440
Website: hawkspublichouse.com
