Browned Butter and Maple Old-Fashioned
By Joe GitterPublished on October 10, 2025
Time
20 minutes, plus 13 hours resting and freezing
Yield
Makes 1 cocktail
Ingredients
Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon
3 ounces unsalted butter 10 ounces bourbonCocktail
2 ounces Browned Butter–Washed bourbon 1 teaspoon maple syrup ⅛ teaspoon old-fashioned aromatic bitters Cocktail cherries for garnishingBefore You Begin
This recipe makes enough browned butter-washed bourbon to yield 4 cocktails. The washed bourbon can be refrigerated in an airtight container indefinitely; however, the flavor will start to diminish after 3 months. Browned butter from fat washing is a delicious way to flavor frostings or use in baking—or anything you use browned butter for. The cocktail can be easily doubled using a 16-ounce mixing glass.
Instructions
- Add 10 ounces bourbon to 16-ounce Mason jar. Heat 3 ounces unsalted butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Cook, swirling skillet and stirring constantly with silicone spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Allow browned butter to cool for 3 minutes, then transfer to jar with bourbon.
- Seal jar tightly and swirl gently. Avoid shaking mixture, which could cause it to emulsify and prevent it from properly straining.
- Lay jar on its side and let sit for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours, gently swirling jar occasionally. (Positioning jar on its side increases surface area of browned butter’s contact with bourbon.)
- Transfer jar to freezer and freeze in same position until browned butter solidifies, 1 to 3 hours.
- Set paper coffee filter in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Strain mixture, then transfer bourbon to clean 16-ounce Mason jar.
- Refrigerate browned butter–washed bourbon for up to 3 months. (It will keep indefinitely, but flavor will start to diminish.)
- Add 2 ounces Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and ⅛ teaspoon old-fashioned aromatic bitters to mixing glass, then fill three-quarters full with ice. Using bar spoon, stir until mixture is just combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain cocktail into chilled rocks glass half-filled with ice or containing 1 large ice cube. Garnish with cocktail cherries and serve.
for the browned butter-washed bourbon
for the cocktail
Time
20 minutes, plus 13 hours resting and freezingYield
Makes 1 cocktailIngredients
Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon
Cocktail
Ingredients
Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon
Cocktail
Ingredients
Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon
Cocktail
Why This Recipe Works
This classic old-fashioned is given a heaping dose of complexity by adding sweetener in the form of maple syrup plus bitters and ice. The act of fat-washing the bourbon softens some of the harsher edges of the spirit and makes it taste smoother. There is a slight change in texture, with fat-washed spirits having a slightly fuller, richer mouthfeel. With fat washing, you can add flavors to cocktails that you simply can’t find anywhere else and enjoy those strong flavors in a form you likely haven’t experienced before.
Before You Begin
This recipe makes enough browned butter-washed bourbon to yield 4 cocktails. The washed bourbon can be refrigerated in an airtight container indefinitely; however, the flavor will start to diminish after 3 months. Browned butter from fat washing is a delicious way to flavor frostings or use in baking—or anything you use browned butter for. The cocktail can be easily doubled using a 16-ounce mixing glass.
Instructions
- Add 10 ounces bourbon to 16-ounce Mason jar. Heat 3 ounces unsalted butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Cook, swirling skillet and stirring constantly with silicone spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Allow browned butter to cool for 3 minutes, then transfer to jar with bourbon.
- Seal jar tightly and swirl gently. Avoid shaking mixture, which could cause it to emulsify and prevent it from properly straining.
- Lay jar on its side and let sit for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours, gently swirling jar occasionally. (Positioning jar on its side increases surface area of browned butter’s contact with bourbon.)
- Transfer jar to freezer and freeze in same position until browned butter solidifies, 1 to 3 hours.
- Set paper coffee filter in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Strain mixture, then transfer bourbon to clean 16-ounce Mason jar.
- Refrigerate browned butter–washed bourbon for up to 3 months. (It will keep indefinitely, but flavor will start to diminish.)
- Add 2 ounces Browned Butter–Washed Bourbon, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and ⅛ teaspoon old-fashioned aromatic bitters to mixing glass, then fill three-quarters full with ice. Using bar spoon, stir until mixture is just combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain cocktail into chilled rocks glass half-filled with ice or containing 1 large ice cube. Garnish with cocktail cherries and serve.
for the browned butter-washed bourbon
for the cocktail
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