Ingredients

• 6 slices smoked streaky bacon (around 150g/5½ oz)
• 500ml/18fl oz vodka
• 250g/8oz cherry tomatoes
• 1 tbsp sugar
• dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• hot sauce (optional)
• celery salt or lemon pepper seasoning (see Tip)
• to serve (optional)

Directions

• To make the bacon vodka
• fry the bacon slowly in a pan so that it cooks in its own fat and renders out as much as possible – do this without the bacon taking on too much colour as a dark
• close-to-charred bacon will spoil the flavour.
• Put the bacon and all the fat from the pan into a container and cover with the vodka. You don’t really need the bacon as most of the flavour will come from the fat
• but it won’t hurt. Leave for several hours to infuse – at least six
• preferably 12 – then put into the freezer for about half an hour or until the bacon fat has solidified.
• Line a sieve with cheesecloth or muslin – alternatively use coffee filters. Strain the vodka through the cheesecloth – it will catch all the still frozen solids. Strain once more
• then bottle.
• To make the bacon-vodka infused cherry tomatoes
• prick the tomatoes lightly all over with a cocktail stick. Put into a jar
• cover with the bacon vodka and sprinkle in the sugar. Add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce
• to taste
• if liked.
• Leave to infuse in the fridge until you are ready to eat them – at least for two hours
• but for as long as you like
• giving a shake every so often.
• Drain and serve on cocktail sticks with optional celery salt or lemon pepper seasoning.