A Mitch Morgan is a

cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...

that consists of a shot of

bourbon whiskey Bourbon whiskey (; also simply bourbon) is a Aging (food), barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the Kingdom of France, French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncerta ...

served with a piece of fried

bacon Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...

as a

cocktail garnish Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails. They are used to complement and enhance the flavors in a drink by stimulating the special nerve cells in the nose and mouth A ...

and served in a glass coated on the inside with a thin veneer of bacon grease. The Mitch Morgan is a popular beverage at the Oak the New Fat Alley Barbecue in Telluride,

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, where the drink originated. The Mitch Morgan is named after its creator. The drink served as the inspiration for J&D's Down Home Enterprises' popular product Bacon Salt.

Outside Telluride

On October 28, 2008, Mitch Morgan shots were served at a charity fund-raising event at Heavens night club in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, Washington hosted by J&D's Foods. The event was promoted as "The World's First Charity No Holds Barred Battle To The Death Mayonnaise Wrestling Match" and promoted the launch of J&D's new products Baconnaise and Bacon Lip Balm, the money raised benefited the family of a deceased co-worker. The Mitch Morgans consisted of

Maker's Mark Maker's Mark is a small-batch bourbon whisky produced in Loretto, Kentucky, by Suntory Global Spirits. It is bottled at 90 U.S. proof (45% alcohol by volume) and sold in squarish bottles sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and ...

bourbon and bacon from the "Bacon is Meat Candy Bacon Club." The fund-raiser sold over 1,000 Mitch Morgans, with customers requesting additional slices of the "gourmet bacon" to complement their drink. Mitch Morgan shots were also served at J&D's Foods 2009 charity product launch party The Bacathlon. Hosted on November 19, 2009, The Bacathlon was promoted as The World's First Bacon-Themed Multi-Sport Athletic and Endurance Event that featured an attempt to set the World Record for Bacon Eating. The event promoted the launch of J&D's new products BaconPOP, Bacon Ranch and Mmmvelopes; the money raised benefited Ashley's Team.

Varieties on the theme

The Mitch Morgan is not the only combination of liquor and bacon. Riding the wave of recent bacon mania, Colum Egan, the master distiller for Bushmills, issued a challenge to bartenders in New York City, for

Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chris ...

in 2008, to concoct drinks based on the traditional Irish breakfast, which of course includes bacon. Two drinks were singled out by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'': Jim Meehan of PDT made a drink which consisted of bacon-infused Bushmills combined with maple syrup, orange and lemon juice, and a whole egg; Eben Freeman of Tailor employed bacon-infused Bushmills, served with roasted tomato gelée squares, a poached quail

egg yolk Among animals which produce eggs, the yolk (; also known as the vitellus) is the nutrient-bearing portion of the egg whose primary function is to supply food for the development of the embryo. Some types of egg contain no yolk, for example bec ...

, Irish breakfast-tea foam, and crispy black-pudding bits.

Inspiration for Bacon Salt

In October 2007 Justin Esch (the co-founder of J&D's Down Home Enterprises) and his older brother Christopher Esch were talking about their fondness of Mitch Morgan shots with friends at the Jewish wedding of a childhood friend in New York, some of whom maintained a Kosher diet, which prohibits the consumption of pork products. The Esch brothers discussed the universal appeal of bacon and determined the world needed a bacon-flavored seasoning salt that could capture the deliciousness of bacon without the dietary issues, resulting in the development of Bacon Salt.

References

{{Bacon Bacon drinks Cocktails with whisky

Outside Telluride

Varieties on the theme

Inspiration for Bacon Salt

See also

References