Yes, you read that title right. I fell down an internet rabbit hole that involved the infamous “hot ham water” bit from Arrested Development and stumbled upon this monstrosity from Drunkard’s Almanac—a hot ham water cocktail:
The Hot Spam Water fits in the family of Negroni variations, being pretty much a Boulevardier with Cynar stepping in for Campari. Spice and ham come into the equation through some black peppercorns and a bacon garnish. The original recipe calls for three dashes of a smoked bacon tincture. Instructions are provided in the recipe but it’s still a good drink even if you don’t put in that effort. But we all know everything’s better with bacon so you won’t want to skip that.
Here are the ingredients:
- 2 oz bourbon
- ¾ oz Punt e Mes (you can use any sweet vermouth if you don’t have it)
- ½ oz Cynar
- 6 black peppercorns
- 3 dashes of smoked bacon tincture
- Bacon for garnish (candied bacon if you have it)
And there goes your taste. Enjoy(?)