From the Creator's Bar Book
Brownie Batter
This is the first drink of the Lucious Luxury drink series. Brownie batter lives up to its name tasting like a brownie in liquid form. The brown butter washed vodka is the star of the show. Shaken with a salted caramel syrup and a bit of espresso, this is a great dessert cocktail for those that don't want something overly sweet.
Ingredients
- Brown-butter-washed vodka2 ounces
- Salted caramel syrup1 ounce
- Cocoa powder1 teaspoon
- Fresh espresso, chilled½ ounce
- Vanilla extract1 teaspoon
- Black walnut bitters1 drops
- Dark chocolate, for grating0 each
Directions
Fat-wash the vodka (make ahead, in batch): brown 4 tablespoon unsalted butter until nutty and amber, stir into 1 cup/8oz vodka, rest 2 hrs, freeze until the fat cap becomes solid (8-12 hours), skim and fine-strain. Bloom the cocoa: whisk the cocoa powder into the salted caramel syrup (or a splash of warm espresso) into a smooth, grit-free slurry. Don't skip because dry powder in a cold shaker goes grainy and floats. Build: combine washed vodka, the caramel-cocoa slurry, espresso, vanilla, and bitters in a shaker over ice. Shake hard, 12–15 seconds, for aeration and a real chill without over-diluting. Double-strain up into a chilled coupe. Grate dark chocolate over the top.
Notes
SERIES: Luscious Luxury # 1 of ~12 1. Brownie Batter 2. The Love Hangover Accessible-first, upgrades-in-notes (series convention): - Espresso: if you have a machine, pack a little cinnamon in with the grounds so it pulls through the extraction — arrives integrated and aromatic, baking-spice depth with no added sugar. - Vanilla: the upgrade is homemade — split vanilla beans soaked in Woodford Reserve; a barspoon slips a faint barrel/oak spine into the neutral vodka. Most of why it reads grown-up rather than milkshake. - Cocoa: the espresso carries the roast and bitterness, so standard cocoa works — cacao adds a little more bitter edge if wanted, but it's not load-bearing. Either way, bloom it. - Salted caramel: homemade, caramelized white + brown sugar. Balance: both sweet vectors bloom cold, so underbuild and taste up. Espresso-to-sugar ratio is the luxurious-vs-novelty dial. Greg's version (sweeter): add 0.25 oz Cafe Granita and pull espresso to 0.25 oz.