How To Make Butter Batter For A Cozy Hot Buttered Whiskey

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Even if you've never had the pleasure of enjoying one yourself, you'll know that hot buttered whiskey is a cozy cold weather drink, perhaps similar to another steamy whiskey-based beverage, a warm and soothing hot toddy. But they're actually not that similar. Hot toddies are all about citrus, spices, and heat, whereas hot buttered whiskies rely primarily on, you may have guessed it, butter. Specifically, "butter batter."

Now, let's first be clear that butter batter has nothing to do with cake batter. Butter batter is a butter mixture seasoned with a sweetener (like brown sugar, agave, or maple syrup) and an array of spices (like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and clove). It is made separate to the drink and added by the spoonful so it melts slowly into the whiskey and hot water. If you've ever come across whiskey compound butter, it's a similar logic; butter and whiskey just work well together regardless of where they're going. 

Making the batter itself is relatively simple. Butter is softened so it can actually absorb the sugar and spices. All the ingredients are then whisked together with an electric mixer while the butter is still pliable, creating a paste-like mixture. Once you've whipped up a batch of butter batter, spread it onto plastic wrap and wrap it tightly, then keep it in the fridge until required. It's set aside and chilled, ready to be spooned into your drink whenever the mood takes you.

To make a really good butter batter, less may be more. If you go overboard on all the sugar and spices, you may end up with a batter that is too sweet or smells like a candle instead of a warming drink. If in doubt, stick to sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg (clove is also an option, but know that it can sometimes be overwhelming), and make sure it all gets mixed in when the butter is at room temperature and soft so that it all melds together properly.

Now anyone who's ever enjoyed a hot buttered whisky will know, the butter tends to float to the top. That's just what it does. It's part of the charm in a way, but if you find it off-putting then you can add emulsifiers to prevent it from floating. Things like lecithin (which occurs naturally in foods such as eggs, but you can buy it on Amazon in powdered form, like this soy one by XPRS Nutra) will make fat and liquid bind together to help the butter stay evenly mixed in the drink, not float on top of it. 

When it's time, make the drink by simply spooning some batter into a mug with hot water (or cider) and some whiskey. It's really that simple, and future you will be very grateful for the effort.