Bourbon and Dr. Pepper Baked Beans

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (12 fl oz) can caffeinated pepper-type soda (such as Dr Pepper(R))
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 (16 ounce) cans baked beans with pork

DIRECTIONS :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix brown sugar, paprika, mustard, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Whisk in pepper soda, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce until brown sugar is dissolved.
3. Cut 4 slices of bacon into small strips. Cook and stir in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until almost crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, reserving bacon grease.
4. Stir onion into the bacon grease in the Dutch oven; cook and stir until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Pour in bourbon, stirring to scrape up browned bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Stir bacon strips back in.
5. Pour brown sugar mixture and baked beans into the Dutch oven. Simmer until beans are heated through, about 15 minutes. Arrange remaining 4 slices of bacon on top of the beans.
6. Bake in the preheated oven, covered, until beans are bubbly and sauce is syrupy, about 3 hours.