Chai Alexander

presented by Vault & Cellar

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz brown butter chai bourbon
  • 1 oz biscotti liqueur
  • 1 oz cream
  • Garnish: grated nutmeg

Preparation:

Day 1

  1. Add 6 chai tea bags to 750ml of Kopper Kettle Virginia Bourbon.
  2. Let the tea infuse overnight.

Day 2

  1. Add 2 sticks (½ pound) of butter to a saucepan.
    Stir the butter constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges.
  2. Keep stirring. In about 5-8 minutes, the butter will turn golden brown. It should smell buttery and nutty. This is the trickiest part; not brown enough and you don’t get the nutty notes we’re after. Too dark and you end up with too much bitterness.
  3. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into a large mason jar (or split between a few). Make sure the jar isn’t cold or the hot butter could crack it.
  4. Pour the bourbon on top of the butter and gently swirl or stir with a bar spoon. Repeat this process every few minutes whenever you see the butter settle out for about half an hour. Don’t shake- that releases more alcohol than we want here.
  5. After half an hour or so, lid the jar and transfer to a fridge or freezer to let the butter solidify. Then strain through a damp coffee filter. You should end up with a nutty, wintery spiced bourbon.

Make the Cocktail

Add your brown butter chai bourbon, biscotti liqueur and cream to a shaker. Shake and double strain into a coupe or a glass of your choosing. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Enjoy by a fire or next to a snowy window.

Chai Alexander