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There aren't many food holidays we can get behind these days, but as Chicagoans, we feel obliged to celebrate the masterpiece that is the Chicago-style hot dog on July 19, a.k.a. National Hot Dog Day. Lucky for us, the good folks at Jim Beam and Vienna Beef whipped up a beefy cocktail recipe just in time for the occasion. No, really, they've created a hot dog-infused sipper, complete with all the fixings. Because why eat your favorite encased meat when you can drink it?
This isn't the first time someone's turned Chicago's unofficial food mascot into a boozy beverage. Earlier this year, Adam Segar—the executive bartender for iPic and its restaurant in New York and L.A.—crafted this terrifying (but beautiful) monstrosity.
The recipe from Vienna Beef and Jim Beam involves infusing bourbon with hot dogs, sport peppers, relish and celery salt. After four or five days in the fridge, that liquid gold is strained and mixed with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Might we suggest trying this recipe at home before taking it to your friend's backyard barbecue? Check out the recipe below.
Chicago-Style Hot Dog Bourbon Cocktail
Infuse:
- Pour 1 750-milliliter bottle of Jim Beam White into large jar
- Add 2 Vienna Beef hot dogs (sliced in long quarters)
Combine with:
- 8 small sport peppers
- 1 tbsp relish
- 1 tsp celery salt
Let the infusion sit in the refrigerator for four to five days, then strain the bourbon liquid once ready to serve.
To create the cocktail:
- 2 parts of Chicago Style Hot Dog infused Jim Beam
- .75 parts fresh lemon juice
- .75 parts simple syrup