Flavor infused alcohol has been all the rage for years now. Just look at what’s been done to the vodka market — no matter how much people make fun of it, more flavors keep on coming out. Now, it’s whiskey’s turn for a disgusting flavor punch: Chicago hot dog infused whiskey.
The contraption was made by Adam Seger, the executive bartender for iPic Theaters (yes, that iPic, the one that is hoping cocktails will save the theater industry). Bon Appétit writer Alyse Whitney described her first impression of hearing about the drink as thinking it sounded like “meat tea,” or, “the dirty water form the bottom of a hot dog cart.”
Apparently that’s not what it is. Chicago dog infused whiskey is composed of the following: Templeton Rye, boiled Vienna Beef hot dogs, Colman’s mustard powder, raw white onion, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spears, sliced tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt, and poppy seeds (for the bun). Everything is put into a Japanese tea and coffee maker, runs it through for about three minutes, and violà: Chicago-dog whiskey.
The whiskey turns a bright, unhealthy, sweet pickle relish green. According to Whitney, it tastes like mustard, celery salt, pickle, and a little bit of sweet tomato. Thankfully, there is no meat flavor. Think specialty pickleback using the pickle juice from that sketchy guy who makes homemade pickles in the basement.
Maybe this is a lesson in not judging a drink by it’s name. Or maybe it’s an abomination. Either way, you can’t say that you don’t want to try it (or watch someone else try it).
