Fun fact, y’all: just because you’re in the mood for a bourbon cocktail doesn’t mean you need to do it like your gramps did.
Our buddy Zeke Franco created some brand-spanking-new cocktails designed to enjoy alongside our favorite popcorn. He whipped up a tremendous upgrade to the bourbon-based classic Old Fashioned to pair with our Caramel-Diem Popcorn.
The not-so-secret ingredient is… Don’t freak out… BROWN BUTTER!!!
If you’ve yet to experience the wonders of brown butter, you’re about to have the best day ever. The technique is simple, but it takes a little patience and a careful eye. The results, we assure you, are spectacular and absolutely worth the effort. Simply simmer butter in a pan (slowly) until it turns frothy and smells nutty, then starts to brown. Avoid burning the precious liquid gold. That’s it. Add it to cookies, pasta, steak, or pretty much anything.
What does this magical elixir add to the cocktail? Good question. We’re glad you asked. Just a wee bit of the brown-butter-washed Elijah Craig adds a heady nuttiness and creaminess to the normally spirit-forward Old Fashioned. Finishing with the sweet but aromatic corn silk Demerara syrup and citrus oil provides balance and touch of zesty acidity. It’s a truly mind-bending variant on a classic cocktail.
But when it’s paired with the Caramel-Diem Popcorn, that’s when the real magic happens.
The sweet nuttiness of the popcorn dances a waltz on your palate with the savory and toasty over-proof bourbon, sending your brain down a waterfall of happiness in a canoe made of spiced caramel with an oar made of unbridled joy. We wept when we tried it. That might just be the bourbon talking, though.