This Honey Butter Old Fashioned combines all the delicious flavors of honey butter and warm bread in one incredibly comforting bourbon cocktail. It's rich, buttery, a little salty, and perfectly sweet, with just a hint of cinnamon spice. If you've ever had a piece of warm bread slathered in honey butter, you know exactly how delicious this combination is.

Honey butter old fashioned with a little slice of bread and butter on top of the drink.

Honey butter and bread are one of my ultimate comfort foods, so naturally, I had to turn those flavors into an old fashioned! It starts with salted brown butter fat-washed bourbon, which gives the cocktail an incredible nutty, buttery flavor with just the right amount of saltiness. Add a little homemade honey syrup and cinnamon bitters, and you have a cocktail that tastes like a honey butter treat in a glass. And of course, we're garnishing it with a little piece of bread and butter, because why not have a snack with your cocktail? And if you want to try another recipe with the salted brown butter bourbon, try this buttered pecan old fashioned.

Jump to:

⭐ WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS Drink
🥘 KEY INGREDIENTS
How to make it:
Tips
Honey Butter Old Fashioned

⭐ WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS Drink

It's comfort food in a cocktail! All those delicious honey butter flavors come together in a rich, cozy bourbon old fashioned.
The perfect sweet and salty combination. Salted brown butter bourbon balances the sweetness of the honey syrup, while cinnamon bitters add just a little warmth.
An old fashioned with a snack! A little slice of bread and butter makes the perfect garnish and brings the whole honey butter experience together.

🥘 KEY INGREDIENTS

Brown butter fat washed bourbon in a jar with the solidified fat at the top.

Bourbon: The base of this cocktail! We're fat-washing it with salted brown butter to create a rich, nutty bourbon with an incredible buttery flavor. Choose a bourbon you love, preferably one with caramel, vanilla, and oak notes.
Salted Butter: I love using Kerrygold salted butter for this recipe. Browning the butter gives it a deep, toasted, nutty flavor, while the salt creates that delicious sweet and salty combination that makes honey butter so good.
Honey Syrup: Made with just honey and water, this syrup adds a rich floral sweetness that pairs beautifully with the salted brown butter bourbon. Diluting the honey also makes it much easier to mix into a cold cocktail.
Cinnamon Bitters: Just a few dashes add a little warm baking spice and bring out the sweetness of the honey and bourbon without overpowering the buttery flavor.
Bread and Butter: The ultimate garnish! A small slice of bread with a little butter makes this cocktail feel like the perfect honey butter treat.

How to make it:

Butter being browed in a light purple skillet.

Step 1: Make the Salted Brown Butter Bourbon
Add one stick of salted butter, preferably Kerrygold, to a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring or swirling occasionally, until the butter starts bubbling and the milk solids turn a beautiful golden amber brown. Be careful not to burn the butter!
Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the browned butter to a large sealable jar with 2 cups of bourbon. Shake well and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer for 12-24 hours until the butter has solidified. Remove the solid butter and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter or cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve to remove any remaining butter solids.

Honey syrup sitting in a small glass container.

Step 2: Make the Honey Syrup
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup honey with ½ cup water.
Heat over medium-low heat, stirring until the honey has completely dissolved into the water and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.

All the ingredients for the cocktail sitting in the glass waiting to be stirred.

Step 3: Make the Old Fashioned
Fill a mixing glass with ice and add:
2 ounces salted brown butter bourbon
¼-1/2 ounce honey syrup
2-3 dashes cinnamon bitters
Stir until well chilled and combined.

The finished cocktail garnished with a little slice of bread and butter.

Step 4: Strain and Garnish
Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a little slice of bread and butter, preferably served on a cocktail pick or resting across the rim.

Tips

Brown the butter carefully. You want a deep golden brown color and a rich, toasted, nutty aroma. Those browned milk solids create the delicious buttery flavor that makes this cocktail so special.

Adjust the honey to your liking. Start with ¼ ounce of honey syrup for a more bourbon-forward old fashioned, or use ½ ounce if you want a sweeter cocktail that really tastes like honey butter.

Don't skip the salted butter. The salt is what balances the honey sweetness and gives this cocktail that unmistakable honey butter flavor.

Honey Butter Old Fashioned

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Pate Giltner
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 24 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Salted Brown Butter Bourbon

1 stick (½ cup) salted butter, preferably Kerrygold
2 cups bourbon

Honey syrup:

1 cup honey
½ cup water

Cocktail:

2 ounces salted brown butter bourbon
¼-1/2 ounce honey syrup
2-3 dashes cinnamon bitters
Ice
Small slice of bread with butter, for garnish

Instructions

For the brown butter bourbon:

Add the salted butter to a skillet over medium heat.
Cook, stirring or swirling occasionally, until the butter bubbles and the milk solids turn a deep golden or amber brown. Remove from the heat before they burn.
Let the browned butter cool completely, then add it to a large sealable jar with the bourbon.
Shake well and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer for 12-24 hours until the butter has solidified.
Remove the solid butter and strain the bourbon through a coffee filter or cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh sieve until the remaining butter solids are removed.
Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. For best quality, use within about 2 weeks.
For the honey syrup:
Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
Stir until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within about 2 weeks.
For the cocktail:
Fill a mixing glass with ice.
Add the salted brown butter bourbon, honey syrup, and cinnamon bitters.
Stir until well chilled and combined.
Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
Garnish with a little slice of bread and butter and enjoy!