Cut the bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Cook and then dry on a rack covered with a paper towel.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown at the edges.
Add the bourbon, sugar, salt and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Gently stir in the Fresno chile, beans and bacon.
Transfer the skillet of beans to the indirect zone of the grill set up for 250°F with wood smoke. If you are cooking on a Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire Grill, specific methods for barbecue are described here. The beans smoke for 2 hours. For maximum flavor, we recommend placing the beans below Barbecue Pulled Pork for the final 2 hours of its smoke.
Serve hot.
