Smoked Browned Butter Fat-Washed Old Fashioned
We first discovered the inspiration for this cocktail at Gordon Ramsay’s BURGR restaurant in Las Vegas, where a smoked browned butter old fashioned stole the show with its rich, nutty depth and dramatic presentation. Determined to recreate the experience back home, we experimented with fat-washing bourbon using browned butter to capture that luxurious, caramelized flavor, then layered in smoke to highlight the spirit’s oakiness. The result is a silky, indulgent old fashioned that balances sweetness, smoke, and buttered richness—a drink that feels just as show-stopping in your backyard as it did on the Vegas strip
Servings: 2 drinks
Equipment
- 1 Glass Jar
- 1 Coffee Filter
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 750 ml Bourbon or Rye Whisky
- 1/4 oz Demerara Syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 2 dash Angostura Bitters
- 1 peel Orange
Instructions
Make Browned Butter Fat Wash
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it foams and then turns golden brown with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat.
- While still liquid, combine the browned butter with the bottle of bourbon in a large glass jar. Stir to combine.
- Let it sit at room temperature for about 4 hours, swirling occasionally.
- Transfer to the freezer overnight to allow the fat to solidify on top
- Break and remove the solidified butter layer, then fine-strain the bourbon through a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Store in a clean bottle.
Build the Cocktail
- In a mixing glass with ice, combine:2 oz fat-washed bourbon¼ oz rich demerara syrup2 dashes Angostura bitters1 dash orange bitters
- Stir until well-chilled and properly diluted (20–30 seconds).
- Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass.
- Smoke the inside of the glass with cherrywood before pouring the cocktail, orUse a smoking gun to dome the finished cocktail for a dramatic effect.
Notes
FAQ
What does fat-washing mean?Fat-washing is a technique where you infuse a spirit with fat (in this case, browned butter) and then freeze it so the fat solidifies and can be removed. The flavor of the fat remains in the spirit, adding richness without leaving it oily. Why use browned butter instead of regular butter?
Browning the butter caramelizes the milk solids, creating nutty, toffee-like flavors that pair beautifully with bourbon and bitters. Regular butter won’t deliver the same depth of flavor. Do I need special equipment to add smoke?
No—you can achieve smoke flavor in a few ways. A smoking gun adds dramatic presentation, but you can also rinse the glass with a quick burst of smoke from burning wood chips, or skip the smoke entirely if you prefer a simpler version. How long will the fat-washed bourbon last?
Once strained and bottled, the browned butter fat-washed bourbon will keep for several weeks at room temperature or longer if stored in the fridge. Just be sure all the solids are strained out. Can I use a different spirit instead of bourbon?
Yes! Rye whiskey gives a spicier edge, while aged rum adds sweetness and tropical notes. The browned butter works surprisingly well across different base spirits.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!