Spring is here, and if you’re already thinking about weekend breakfast spreads and backyard grilling season, Oscar Mayer just gave you one more reason to get excited. The brand dropped a new maple bourbon thick-cut bacon, and honestly, it sounds like exactly the kind of thing that disappears fast at a family brunch table.

Made with Evan Williams bourbon, this isn’t just a flavored bacon in the vague, generic sense. The barrel-aged bourbon pulls out a subtle caramel note that works alongside the smokiness of the meat rather than fighting it. Sweet, smoky, a little rich. That’s the profile, and it works.

If your crew loves bacon on the crispier side, this one rewards the extra minute in the pan. The maple sweetness gets a little more concentrated when the edges start to curl, and the caramel undertones from the bourbon become more noticeable. Not overpowering. Just present in the best way.

So what do you actually do with it?

The obvious answer is breakfast. Eggs, toast, a stack of this bacon on the side. Simple and completely satisfying. But the fun starts when you think a little beyond the breakfast plate. Crumble it into a chicken salad for a sweet-smoky crunch that your family won’t be able to place but will keep asking for. Lay a few strips on a burger and skip the condiments entirely, because the maple glaze does that work for you. Or go full weekend mode and build the ultimate breakfast sandwich: thick bread, a runny egg, maybe some avocado, and two or three slices of this bacon tucked in there.

Bacon itself has a long and genuinely fascinating history as a preserved meat, but the sweet-savory direction it’s taken in American cooking recently reflects how much home cooks have leaned into bolder flavor combinations. Maple and bacon have been natural partners for a long time, and adding bourbon to that equation is a move that makes a lot of sense.

For people who like to do a little entertaining from the back patio, consider this: a Bloody Mary with a strip of maple bourbon bacon as a garnish is not a small upgrade. It’s kind of a revelation. The saltiness of the drink, the spice, and then that sweet caramel bacon on the rim. Worth trying at your next neighborhood get-together.

Now, the catch.

This is a limited-edition product, at least for now. Oscar Mayer started rolling it out to retailers in April, and it’s expected to stick around through grilling season. The brand is testing a range of new products this spring and summer to see which ones customers love enough to keep around permanently. So if you try this bacon and fall hard for it, the best thing you can do is buy it, use it, and maybe let Oscar Mayer know through your shopping cart that this one deserves a permanent spot on the shelf.

Two new hot dogs are also coming from Oscar Mayer later this month, bun-length Beef and Pork Franks and Cheesy Smokehouse Stuffed Hot Dogs. Both sound like solid additions to any cookout lineup, and pairing them with a side of maple bourbon bacon crumbles in a pasta salad or baked beans? That’s a backyard menu worth planning around.

Taste of Home got an early taste and came away enthusiastic enough to start brainstorming cocktail garnishes and bagel sandwiches, which is a pretty good sign.

The USDA’s guidelines on bacon and cured meats are worth a quick read if you’ve got younger kids in the house and you’re adjusting cooking times or temperatures, especially as you experiment with thicker cuts like this one.

Bottom line: if your family does Saturday morning breakfast like it’s a sport, this is the new ingredient worth hunting down. Check your local grocery store starting this month, grab a few packages while it’s available, and don’t be surprised if it becomes the thing everyone requests. Grilling season is right around the corner, and this bacon is ready for it.