Alnwick butcher Turnbull's teams up with Hummingbird mixologist for new bacon cocktail

The ‘Turnbull’s Old Fashioned’ was created as an experiment by Hummingbird master mixologist, Chris Green.

It is made using smoked bacon from the Alnwick-based butcher and takes inspiration from the infamous Benton’s Old Fashioned created at Pdtny, a bar in New York.

Chris infuses bourbon with smoked bacon mixed with honey and a few dashes of angostura bitters to create a unique cocktail.

Chris from Hummingbird said: “I have always been interested with the effects of bacon and bourbon, from reading about the Bentons old fashioned when just starting out in the cocktail world, I really wanted to celebrate an old fashioned with local produce.

"The smoked bacon from Turnbull’s is probably my favourite bacon so it just felt fitting to celebrate our relationship, with a smoked bacon infused old fashioned. All of which is rounded off with Northumbrian honey!”

Hummingbird originally started life as a 20-page cocktail leaflet and pop-up bar before transforming into a 200-page hardback cocktail book.

Originally based in Amble, Chris and Becca ran a successful café-bar before outgrowing the existing premises and are looking to re-locate to a larger location soon with the hopes to expand their wholesale brand of ready-to-drink cocktails.

Matthew Slack, sales and marketing manager at Turnbull’s said: “Following the launch of our Turnbull’s Beer, 1880 Gold, brewed by Alnwick Brewery, I was always keen to add another exclusive product to our range.

"When Chris dropped in a sample of the Turnbull’s Old Fashioned and mentioned that he had been experimenting with smoked bacon I was instantly impressed – I would never have even dreamt of putting bacon and bourbon together in a drink”

The cocktail is being launched on Monday, May 13 on World Cocktail Day and will be available exclusively at Turnbull’s Northumbrian Food Hall in 150ml and 300ml servings which are pre-mixed and ready to drink over ice.

The Hummingbird team will also be offering tastings of the Old Fashioned as well as other drinks in their line-up and to chat about their business at the Turnbull’s Northumbrian Food Hall on Wednesday, May 16 from 1pm.