Brown Butter Old Fashioned

Brown butter Old Fashioned — the classic cocktail with a nutty, toffee-like twist. Brown butter-washed bourbon, maple syrup, bitters. The cocktail bar favorite you can make in 5 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Brown Butter Old Fashioned

• Elevated classic — warm, nutty twist on the original.
• 5 minutes to make — most of that is browning butter.
• Bourbon-forward — brown butter enhances the whiskey.
• Year-round — cozy in winter, great on summer evenings too.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon (Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve)
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash orange bitters
• Orange peel
• Luxardo cherry

Equipment

• Mixing glass
• Bar spoon
• Jigger
• Strainer
• Rocks glass
• Small saucepan
• Large ice cube

How to Make a Brown Butter Old Fashioned

Step 1 — Brown the butter (4 min)

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl as it foams, turns golden, releases nutty aroma (~3-4 min). Remove immediately when deep amber. Goes from perfect to burnt fast.

Step 2 — Build (2 min)

In mixing glass: bourbon, 1 tbsp brown butter (leave dark specks behind), maple syrup, both bitters.

Step 3 — Stir (1 min)

Fill 2/3 with ice. Stir 30 seconds until well-chilled.

Step 4 — Strain and garnish (1 min)

Large ice cube in rocks glass. Strain cocktail over. Express orange peel over drink (squeeze skin-side down), rub rim, drop in. Add cherry.

Pro Tips

• Watch butter closely. Perfect to burnt = ~10 seconds.
• Large ice cube dilutes slower, stays balanced.
• Orange peel express — oils add aromatic complexity.
• Batch brown butter: Brown a whole stick, strain, fridge for weeks.

Variations

• Rye version: Swap bourbon for rye. Spicier, drier.
• Batch for party: 750ml bourbon + 1/2 cup brown butter + 1/2 cup maple + 2 tbsp bitters = ~12 cocktails.

Storage

Brown butter: 2 weeks in fridge. Pre-batched: 1 month in fridge.

What to Serve

Spiced nuts, aged cheddar, dark chocolate. Pair with Grilled Bourbon Peach BBQ Chicken. Dessert: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Nutrition

210 calories, 6g fat, 5g sugar per cocktail.

FAQ

Burned the butter?

Start over. Burnt butter is acrid. Takes 4 min to make new batch.

This cocktail turns bourbon lovers into brown butter converts.