If you’re a bourbon fan, there is a selection of five delectable cocktails that feature this whiskey that you will want to try. These four cocktails are not only tasty, but easy to make
Brown Butter Old Fashioned
The Brown Butter Old Fashioned is the brainchild of Lu Brow, the cocktail director at DTB in New Orleans. In coming up with the Brown Butter Old Fashioned, she noted that the Old Fashioned is a staple in New Orleans. Brown sugar is designed to add an “earthy sweetness” to the cocktail.
The directions to prepare the Brown Butter Old Fashioned seem complex on first blush. In reality, the Brown Butter Old Fashioned is easy to prepare. Begin with these ingredients:
4 dashes Angostura bitters
1/4 oz brown sugar syrup (equal parts brown sugar to water)
1 orange peel
1 Luxardo maraschino cherry
2 oz brown-butter-washed bourbon (directions below)
Directions to prepare:
In a rocks glass, muddle the bitters, syrup, orange peel, and cherry.
Add the bourbon and 1 large ice cube. Stir.
Garnish with an orange peel “rose.” The rose is made by rolling 2 swaths of orange peels with a Luxardo maraschino cherry in the middle.
Directors for making brown-butter-washed bourbon:
Slowly brown 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a saucepan. Brown until well-toasted, complete with a nutty aroma.
Remove from heat. Allow it to cool.
Pour a 750 ml bottle of Benchmark bourbon (or a bourbon of your choice) into a plastic container. Gently stir in the brown butter.
Leave mixture uncovered until it’s completely cool and butter firms and rises to top of container.
Freeze mixture. Skim off solids. Strain through cheesecloth to remove all solids. Cover with lid, label and date. Bourbon keeps for a few weeks.
Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned
The Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned hearkens from the Copper Lounge in Los Angeles. It is the creation of bar manager Scott Allen. Allen explains that the cocktail essentially mixes bourbon with a syrup that can best be described as pumpkin pie seasoning in liquid form. In addition, orange and orange bitters add a dash of bright citrus flavor. Angostura bitters gives the Pumpkin Spice Old Fashioned depth. Begin with these ingredients:
1/2 oz pumpkin syrup (directions below)
2 dashes orange bitters
1 orange slice
2 oz Breckenridge bourbon
1 dash club soda
1 cinnamon stick
Directions to prepare:
Add the pumpkin syrup, together with orange bitters and orange slice, to a rocks glass. Muddle.
Add bourbon, 1 large ice cube, and 1 splash of club soda. Stir several times with the cinnamon stick.
Directions for pumpkin syrup:
Add 1 cup water and 3/4 cup light brown sugar to saucepan Simmer until sugar dissolves.
Turn heat to low. Whisk in 3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1/3 cup pumpkin purée.
Simmer on low for 8 minutes. Remove it from heat. Allow to cool.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer.
Add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Store syrup in refrigerator in container with tightly fitting lid. Keeps for up to 1 month.
Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules is creation of the food and beverage director at Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar in Covington, Kentucky, Billy Grise. Grise admits to being a fan of author John Irving. The cocktail bears the name of one of Irving’s novels. These are the ingredients for Cider House Rules:
2 oz Buffalo Trace bourbon
5 oz strawberry cider (from CiderBoys, Kopparberg or another cidery; another flavor can be substituted)
1/2 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)
1/4 oz resh lemon juice
1 dash Bittercube Blackstrap bitters
Directions to prepare:
Add all the ingredients into a Hurricane glass, over ice.
Garnish with mint sprig, grated cinnamon, and powdered sugar.
Bourbon & Berries
Bourbon & Berries is the original creation of the former bar lead at San Diego’s Herb & Wood, Willem Van Leuven. The cocktail was adapted by his successor, Emily Carroll. this take on the Old Fashioned rotates in a different flavored syrup depending on the seasonal produce that’s available. “The strawberry-vanilla syrup was the brainchild of the establishment’s pastry chef, Adrian Mendoza. These are the ingredient you will need:
2 oz Old Forester bourbon
1 bar-spoon trawberry-vanilla syrup (directions to prepare below)
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Add all ingredients into double rocks glass, filled with 1 large ice cube. Stir for 18 to 20 seconds. Add a few more ice cubes.
Express oil of an orange peel. Drop the peel in glass.
Directions for strawberry-vanilla syrup:
Add 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, and the beans scraped from 1 vanilla bean to saucepan. Bring to low simmer until sugar dissolves.
Add 2 cups sliced strawberries. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Mash strawberries, let cool.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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Jessica Kane writes for TIPS Alcohol Training, offering TIPS responsible alcohol service training online for both on and off premise needs.
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