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The best use of butter since sliced bread.
About the cocktail
As one of the most famous, riff-able and fun drink styles to whip up, cocktails from the Sour family ticks loads of boxes. Now, joining the ranks of the Mandarin Sour, Negroni Sour and, of course, the classic Whiskey Sour, we bring you the very contemporary Brown Butter & Sage Sour. Set aside any ravioli flashbacks – this modern nutty, herby, silky cocktail makes total sense. For many of us, butter is a love language – whether it’s buttery pastries, buttered toast or butter melting over steaming roasted potatoes – we’ll take it in any form. But take browned butter (AKA beurre noisette in French) and throw in some sage, then use it to fat-wash gin? Now you’re really talking. Traditionally used in stuffing for fatty meats such as pork and to add flavour to sausages, sage is beautifully aromatic, musky and earthy with subtle peppery hints. When paired with a herbaceous gin and smooth golden toasted butter flavours, this honeyed, savoury drop really hits the high notes at cocktail hour. Now, there are a few steps here, but don’t be deterred – it’s easier than it sounds, and the results speak for themselves. The final drink is bright and layered, with a glossy texture and buttery, woody warmth. This chef-coded cocktail serves serious “I know what I’m doing” energy. Yes chef!
Ingredients: for the brown butter and sage gin (makes 5 serves/200mL)
100gm butter 10gm fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped without stems 250mL gin
Ingredients: for the cocktail
40mL brown butter and sage gin (see method) 20mL dry vermouth 20mL lemon juice 1 tbsp runny honey Pinch sea salt 1 egg white Glass: coupe or tumbler Garnish: a wedge of choc-coated honeycomb
Method: for the brown butter and sage gin
Add butter to a pan over medium heat until frothing, then add sage Stir occasionally and cook until the butter turns brown (but not burnt) Add gin to a wide-mouthed jar, then add the butter and sage mix and stir Stir every 15 minutes or so for a couple of hours, then cover and place in the freezer overnight Remove from the freezer, discard the butter disc that has formed on top, then strain the liquid through a coffee filter into a clean bottle or container Keep your fat-washed gin refrigerated and use within one month
Method: for the cocktail
Pop your glass in the freezer to chill for at least 20 minutes Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker Dry shake – without ice – to emulsify the egg white Add plenty of cubed ice and shake again until the outside of the tin is frosty Carefully fine strain into the chilled glass Garnish with the honeycomb
Dan’s top tips
For this drink, be sure to use a gin with personality. We used Tanqueray, but this recipe could allow for several floral gins as well as different styles of vermouth (we went with Dolin Dry, but you might prefer a local take). There's plenty of room for experimentation. A gin that’s citrusy, floral or herbaceous will complement the brown butter and sage beautifully. If this is your first go, make sure you trust the process of the tried-and-tested fat-washing method as it allows the sage to shine through with just the spirit and no sage syrup. Make sure your butter is properly browned – keep an eye (and nose) out for that nutty aroma and golden colour, but just make sure you don’t let it burn. It can happen really quickly, so stand guard over the pot. The choc honeycomb garnish is a real crowd-pleaser and adds a lovely layer to the drink, but a fresh sage leaf on its own is also a natural fit for those after a more aromatic, savoury finish.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Bridget Wald (styling)
