Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

A5 old fashioned: Wagyu fat-washed bourbon

The essence of the richness of steak

Anthony Belcufini
Anthony Belcufini
  • Anthony Belcufini
  • Animae
  • 969 Pacific Highway
  • Downtown

“Every single night, it’s probably the top seller,” says Anthony Belcufini about Animae’s A5 Old Fashioned. “And it ties into what we do in the back of the house with our steak program.” The cocktail’s name is a nod to the Japanese A5 Wagyu fat-washed bourbon made in-house, using cuts of meat ordered for the restaurant. “We get these long, long tenderloins and strip loins — and if you’re familiar with A5 Wagyu, the big thing is the fat content and marbleization. So there’s a tremendous amount of fat, that’s what makes it so good. But when we have to trim off all the excess fat, it costs us the same amount as the steak we’re serving ourselves.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Place

Animae

969 Pacific Highway, San Diego

In order to make the cost of the A5 more approachable to a lot of our diners, we use that fat throughout the menu, including the A5 Old Fashioned.” It seemed an obvious answer to him: “committing to using all of that beef that we’re importing, but also putting a much more elevated twist on something that’s been done.”

Each week, the chefs cut off the excess fat and render it down. “And then when I make my batch of bourbon, I basically get a big ol’ stock pot, put it on an induction burner and put one or two quarts of that fat in there,” he says, estimating his cooking temp at around 140-60 degrees. “Warm enough where that fat turns into an oil, but it’s a temperature low enough where the alcohol won’t evaporate.” After infusing the bourbon for several hours, the batch is stored in the freezer, “where the cold temperature is going to bring all that liquid fat back into a solid that rises all the way to the top.” The top layer of fat is then removed the next day, “and what you’re left with is a bourbon that’s richer, a little bit nutty, buttery, super smooth — I don’t like using the word ‘beefy,’ because I think that’s off-putting,” he clarifies, “but what you do get is the essence of the richness of that steak.”

To top it off, Belcufini adds a bit of Shio Koji. “It’s almost like a rice-based salt liquid... after it’s been softened, I find that it opens up your palate a lot more.” Angostura bitters and an orange twist complete the cocktail recipe. “You get a lot of the aromatics from that. You get the strength, the punch of a nice stiff Old Fashioned, you get a lot more savory quality to it.” The fat-washing technique also produces a different mouthfeel. “I hope it’s the smoothest Old Fashioned that anybody will ever have,” he says earnestly.

The base bourbon changes depending on what they have at their disposal. “Sometimes a little scotch might make it in, sometimes a bit of rye. It’s a very consistent drink,” he maintains, “but like a snowflake, each one is just a little unique.”

Old Fashioned
  • Animae’s
  • A5 Old Fashioned
  • 2 oz. A5 Wagyu fat-washed bourbon
  • 1/4 oz. Demerera Syrup
  • 3 dashes aromatic bitters
  • Fat-wash the bourbon: cook ½ cup (roughly 100 grams) of Wagyu tallow on low heat, allowing it to melt down completely. Remove from heat and make sure the temperature is under 150°F before adding 1 bottle of whiskey. Stir periodically to incorporate the fat oil with the whiskey. Freeze mixture for 4 hours, then remove the fat that rises to the top and strain bourbon back into the bottle. Add ingredients to a mixing glass, stir and strain over a large rock into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Yo-Yo Ma, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky come to San Diego

Next Article

Gilbert Castellanos, Buddha Trixie, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shane Hall, Brian Jones Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Grand Socials, gigs, and record releases in Del Mar, City Heights, Solana Beach, Little Italy, and Ocean Beach
Anthony Belcufini
Anthony Belcufini
  • Anthony Belcufini
  • Animae
  • 969 Pacific Highway
  • Downtown

“Every single night, it’s probably the top seller,” says Anthony Belcufini about Animae’s A5 Old Fashioned. “And it ties into what we do in the back of the house with our steak program.” The cocktail’s name is a nod to the Japanese A5 Wagyu fat-washed bourbon made in-house, using cuts of meat ordered for the restaurant. “We get these long, long tenderloins and strip loins — and if you’re familiar with A5 Wagyu, the big thing is the fat content and marbleization. So there’s a tremendous amount of fat, that’s what makes it so good. But when we have to trim off all the excess fat, it costs us the same amount as the steak we’re serving ourselves.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Place

Animae

969 Pacific Highway, San Diego

In order to make the cost of the A5 more approachable to a lot of our diners, we use that fat throughout the menu, including the A5 Old Fashioned.” It seemed an obvious answer to him: “committing to using all of that beef that we’re importing, but also putting a much more elevated twist on something that’s been done.”

Each week, the chefs cut off the excess fat and render it down. “And then when I make my batch of bourbon, I basically get a big ol’ stock pot, put it on an induction burner and put one or two quarts of that fat in there,” he says, estimating his cooking temp at around 140-60 degrees. “Warm enough where that fat turns into an oil, but it’s a temperature low enough where the alcohol won’t evaporate.” After infusing the bourbon for several hours, the batch is stored in the freezer, “where the cold temperature is going to bring all that liquid fat back into a solid that rises all the way to the top.” The top layer of fat is then removed the next day, “and what you’re left with is a bourbon that’s richer, a little bit nutty, buttery, super smooth — I don’t like using the word ‘beefy,’ because I think that’s off-putting,” he clarifies, “but what you do get is the essence of the richness of that steak.”

To top it off, Belcufini adds a bit of Shio Koji. “It’s almost like a rice-based salt liquid... after it’s been softened, I find that it opens up your palate a lot more.” Angostura bitters and an orange twist complete the cocktail recipe. “You get a lot of the aromatics from that. You get the strength, the punch of a nice stiff Old Fashioned, you get a lot more savory quality to it.” The fat-washing technique also produces a different mouthfeel. “I hope it’s the smoothest Old Fashioned that anybody will ever have,” he says earnestly.

The base bourbon changes depending on what they have at their disposal. “Sometimes a little scotch might make it in, sometimes a bit of rye. It’s a very consistent drink,” he maintains, “but like a snowflake, each one is just a little unique.”

Old Fashioned
  • Animae’s
  • A5 Old Fashioned
  • 2 oz. A5 Wagyu fat-washed bourbon
  • 1/4 oz. Demerera Syrup
  • 3 dashes aromatic bitters
  • Fat-wash the bourbon: cook ½ cup (roughly 100 grams) of Wagyu tallow on low heat, allowing it to melt down completely. Remove from heat and make sure the temperature is under 150°F before adding 1 bottle of whiskey. Stir periodically to incorporate the fat oil with the whiskey. Freeze mixture for 4 hours, then remove the fat that rises to the top and strain bourbon back into the bottle. Add ingredients to a mixing glass, stir and strain over a large rock into an Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a twist of orange.
Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Yo-Yo Ma, Wagner, and Tchaikovsky come to San Diego

Next Article

Gilbert Castellanos, Buddha Trixie, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shane Hall, Brian Jones Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Grand Socials, gigs, and record releases in Del Mar, City Heights, Solana Beach, Little Italy, and Ocean Beach
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.