When I think of Florida, culinary excellence doesn’t usually come to mind. But after a weekend in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, I had a totally different perspective. The Gulf Coast of the state boasts a number of restaurants and cocktail bars including Il Ritorno, The Tides Market, Elliott Aster, The Black Pearl, Pluma, and, perhaps my personal favorite, Fortu. It was at the Michelin-recommended modern Asian spot that I met David Mocilan, the lead bartender, who taught me the easiest (and, dare I say, most delicious) way to upgrade a cocktail: fat-washing.
Fat-washing is a culinary technique for infusing flavorful fats into a spirit. You don’t drink, say, the melted butter in the finished cocktail — you remove the fat to leave a super smooth spirit with extra flavor. This creates a richer texture for the cocktail.
If you visit Fortu, you can order a Kinoko, which is their twist on an Old-Fashioned. It’s made with Redemption bourbon blend, maitake mushrooms, butter, and palm. When I tasted it at the restaurant, I was immediately impressed. The addition of butter and mushrooms instantly elevates the drink. The end result is so smooth with a touch of umami. It’s much easier to sip than a traditional Old-Fashioned. So when I got home I decided to give fat-washing a try for myself.
How to Make My Brown Butter Old-Fashioned Cocktail
I decided to forgo anything too fancy (like maitake) and just make an Old-Fashioned washed in browned butter. It was so delicious, and I can’t wait to make it again. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Brown the butter.
You don’t have to use butter for fat washing. Some people choose to use other fats like coconut oil or bacon fat. I decided to keep it simple by browning butter to give it a nutty, toasty flavor and a darker color for my cocktail. I did this by melting two tablespoons of butter over low heat until it smelled nutty and had lots of caramelized brown bits.
Step 2: Combine the butter and bourbon in a jar to freeze.
After my butter was browned, I combined it with four tablespoons of bourbon in a Mason jar and stuck it in the freezer to chill overnight.
Step 3. Strain the fat.
The next day, I strained the fat using a strainer and a paper towel. However, I recommend using a cheesecloth in order to get the best result.
Step 4: Make the cocktail.
After I had my fat-washed bourbon, I proceeded to make an Old-Fashioned. (Our recipe is great!) I took a homemade simple syrup, bitters, a little water, and an orange peel and added it to the liquor.
Step 5: Enjoy!
The end result was a delicious cocktail. The flavor was smooth, and I found it much easier to drink than a traditional Old-Fashioned. I will definitely continue to fat-wash cocktails and can’t wait to experiment with different fats and spirits.