Caramel Old-Fashioned
This Caramel Old-Fashioned is rich, smooth and cozy, blending bold whiskey with buttery caramel into a warm, indulgent twist on a classic cocktail. Add a hint of sea salt, if you like, for the perfect sweet-savory sip.
Servings 1 drink
Calories 189kcal
Ingredients
Caramel Syrup
- ½ cup water divided
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt optional, for salted caramel syrup
Caramel Old-Fashioned
- ½ tablespoon caramel sauce for rim (optional)
- 1-2 small pinch flaky sea salt for garnish (optional)
- ¼ to ½ ounce caramel syrup or salted caramel syrup
- 2 ounces bourbon whiskey
- 2 dashes chocolate bitters
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 large ice cube
Instructions
Caramel Syrup
- Combine ¼ cup water (set the rest aside) and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until dissolved, about 5 minutes or so.½ cup water, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Cover and boil, about 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir consistently until the mixture is a light amber color.
- Remove from heat immediately, then stir in remaining ¼ cup water and vanilla extract.½ cup water, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- If desired, add a pinch of salt for salted caramel syrup.1 pinch salt
- Stir in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Caramel Old Fashioned
- For a Salted Caramel Old-Fashioned: Pour some caramel sauce on a plate. Roll the rim of a rocks glass in the sauce to coat the rim. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if desired.½ tablespoon caramel sauce, 1-2 small pinch flaky sea salt
- In a mixing glass filled with ice, combine salted caramel syrup and bourbon.¼ to ½ ounce caramel syrup, 2 ounces bourbon whiskey
- Use a bar spoon to gently stir the mixture until chilled.
- Add a large ice cube to the glass. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Top with a few dashes of chocolate bitters and orange bitters. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky salt, if desired.2 dashes chocolate bitters, 1-2 small pinch flaky sea salt, 1 large ice cube, 2 dashes orange bitters
Notes
Syrup tips:
- Focus on your syrup and don’t allow any distractions. It’s very easy to turn your caramel syrup into burnt sugar syrup. As soon as the caramel syrup turns an amber color, remove it from the heat immediately. It will still cook a little more after you remove it from the heat, which makes it that much easier to burn. Once it’s burnt, you can’t save it and you’ll have to start over. (Ask me how I know!)
- This recipe makes around ¾ cup or 6 ounces of syrup, but I wouldn’t double it until you’ve mastered this recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 2.25ounces | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.1mg
