For ages, New Jerseyans have asked the question, “is it pork roll or Taylor ham?” But now one Garden State distillery is posing a different question — could the Garden State’s favorite breakfast sandwich be turned into booze?
Keyport’s 3BR Distillery has answered the call with a limited-release vodka, called “011 PEC on Everything.” The drink was made in partnership with nearby bagel shop Planet Bagel, which provided the pork roll for the vodka-making process.
The vodka aims to recreate the flavor of New Jersey’s signature breakfast sandwich — a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich on an everything bagel.
You read that correctly. Pork roll, egg and cheese-flavored vodka.
The Soviet-themed distillery is no stranger to outlandish alcoholic concoctions. “PEC on Everything” is a the 10th installment of the brand’s “Elevator Series” concept, which has previously produced dandelion liqueur, tomato liqueur and turmeric liqueur among other spirits.
“We try to do these Elevator releases between two and four times a year, and we try to do things that are seasonal. At some point I was like, ‘what else is extremely New Jersey and seasonal for the summer?’” 3BR head distiller Aleksandr Zhdanov told NJ Advance Media. “For me, it’s pork roll, egg and cheese.”
The Elevator Series was inspired by co-CEOs Aleksandr and Maksim Zhdanov’s grandfather Oleg Pichenikin, who illegally distilled in Russia and worked as an elevator engineer during Soviet alcohol restrictions in the late 1980s. The 3BR Distillery first opened its doors in 2021, crafting a flagship spirit distilled from split peas as an homage to Pichenikin. The brewery’s full name, “3 Bottles or Riot” is a reference to those Russian alcohol restrictions.
The ownership group, which includes Yulia Kravchin, brothers Aleksandr Zhdanov and Maksim Zhdanov, COO William Proulx and Robert Mattera III (the head of the distillery’s bar program) met during their studies at Rutgers University before opening the unconventional distillery.
Co-owners Yulia Kravchin, Aleksandr Zhdanov and Maksim Zhdanov of 3BR Distillery in Keyport. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
Aleksandr Zhdanov extracted alcohol from fermented pork roll and distilled everything bagel seasoning, added in a hint of malt rye extract with rye bread syrup to mimic the bread, and then lactose sugar to evoke a creaminess like melted American cheese.
“I made all the individual components and combined them in a ratio that tasted very much like the sandwich itself,” Aleksandr Zhdanov said. “Pork roll, egg and cheese is delicious, but it’s also such a combination of flavors that you have to have a nice balance to be able to taste all the individual components.”
3BR Distillery in Keyport released a pork roll, egg and cheese-flavored vodka liqueur called the “011 PEC on Everything.” (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
The taste test
Sounds like a wild idea. But how does it taste?
Now I haven’t had pork roll, egg and cheese and alcohol in the same meal since college. But I have to admit, the liqueur was a lot easier to enjoy than I imagined it would be.
After sipping the “PEC on Everything” out of a shot glass without ice, I concluded I’d like the drink best served on the rocks (and probably as a double shot). The vodka would make for a great addition to a Bloody Mary as the owners suggested, although it doesn’t need to be mixed to enjoy.
The otherworldly breakfast sandwich liqueur creation smells very much like an everything bagel. And the taste? It was smoother and sweeter than I expected. The everything bagel flavor is definitely present but not overbearing, and joined by a subtle hint of pork roll. The pork roll flavor was not too sharp, which shocked me because the processed breakfast meat can sometimes overpower its PEC sandwich counterparts. The creaminess of the drink mirrors that of a creamy ale or IPA, a surprising quality to find in a vodka.
I didn’t taste any egg, but I’m honestly not upset about that at all. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the vodka and for sure would give it another try. I think most pork roll, egg and cheese fans would raise an eyebrow but eventually approve of the “PEC on Everything.”
And Taylor ham supporters, don’t fret! The distillery made sure to address the age-old pork roll versus Taylor ham battle by differentiating labels “pork roll” and “Taylor ham” on the bottles so that patrons would have the choice to side with the term of their liking.
A pint-sized “PEC on Everything” bottle can be purchased for $25 at the distillery. Orders can also be made online for in-store pickup. The 3BR Distillery menu features signature and seasonal cocktails like margaritas, daiquiris and mules as well as other bottled spirits and liqueurs that distilled on-site.
3BR Distillery in Keyport. (Christopher Burch | NJ Advance Media)Christopher Burch
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