Grim's Smoked Whiskey Cheese

So I learned this recipe from a guy, but his version lacks a lot of the smoke flavor. He gets some from the Jack Daniels, but then he uses just cheese and jalapenos. I like this one better because it gets two additional smoke flavors, making it very rich. Mine is also spicier and less sour because of the substitution of rye whiskey for the Tennessee, but if you like sour mash flavor you could use Jack or even a bourbon.

Grim's Smoked Whiskey Cheese

3 strips bacon (I used applewood-smoked, but any smoked bacon should do)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or just grab a few peppers and mince them as you cook)

1 shot Rye whiskey (I used Old Overholt)

2 cups Queso Chihuahua (or substitute another melting cheese like Monterey Jack)

In a cast iron skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside to cool so it can become brittle for crumbling. Reserve all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat for later use (as in biscuits). In the remaining tablespoon of hot bacon fat, sauté the garlic for just a few seconds until it browns. Add the chipotles and adobo sauce, stirring until fragrant. Add the whiskey and then immediately the cheese, so that the steam from the whiskey begins to melt the cheese. Stir over medium heat until molten. Crush the bacon into crumbles and return to the cheese mixture. Serve over any sort of fried potatoes, or however else you wish.