Good Ol’ Boy Brown Butter Cocktail

Put a little elbow grease into making this brown butter whiskey cocktail, and you’ll be sipping the benefits for weeks to come.

1½ oz. brown butter bourbon
½ oz. Luxardo Amaro Abano
1½ oz. pear nectar
¾ oz. spiced burnt-orange syrup
½ oz. lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: Old Fashioned
Garnish: pear slice

In a shaker filled with ice, add all of the ingredients and shake to combine. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with a pear slice pierced with a bamboo pick.

Brown Butter Bourbon
1 stick unsalted butter
1 liter Bourbon (Di Tota uses Four Roses)

Add the butter to a skillet set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter completely and then lower the flame to medium. Stirring occasionally, simmer the butter until it foams and turns a golden brown. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Add 1 liter of Bourbon to a large glass jar. Once the brown butter has cooled, add it to the jar. Do not shake. Put the lid on the jar and store in the freezer for 2-3 days.

After the Bourbon has frozen for several days, the butter will be congealed at the top of the jar. Using a sharp knife, poke a hole into the butter cap. Place a funnel that’s lined with 2 layers of cheese cloth into the original bottle, and strain the Bourbon. Re-cap the bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Spiced Burnt-Orange Syrup
1 ¼ cups raw sugar
⅛ cup water
6 star anise pods, whole
3 cinnamon sticks, whole
12 allspice berries, whole
1 cup fresh orange juice
Zest of 3 oranges

In a medium saucepan set over high heat, add the sugar and water. Continue to stir and cook the mixture until it caramelizes and turns deep amber. Remove the pan from the heat and add the anise, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir for approximately 30 seconds, turn the heat to low, and then add the orange juice and orange zest. The caramel will begin to seize, so stir continuously until caramel has loosened. Let cool. Strain into a container, and keep it refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Mike Di Tota, The Bonnie, Astoria, New York