Boozy Drunk Uncle Cocktail

Even if you don’t have a literal drunk uncle, you can still find someone exuding Drunk Uncle Energy at the dinner table. The prototypical Drunk Uncle loves brown spirits, big ice cubes, and completely made-up “facts,” so why not give him two out of three of these with a variation on the Old Fashioned? The good news? After a Drunk Uncle Cocktail, a turkey dinner, and a La-Z-Boy, he’ll be passed out with the remote in no time. Hey, don’t change the channel…he’s watching that!

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A rocks glass of drunk uncle cocktail with a large ice cube and an orange peel, next to a gold Christmas ornament.

Boozy Drunk Uncle Cocktail


  • Author: Kaitlin Fellers

Description

This playful twist on the Old Fashioned mixes cognac, rye, and a rich brown butter syrup for a smooth, indulgent cocktail. Finished with bitters and an orange peel over a big ice cube, it’s the perfect drink for anyone bringing “Drunk Uncle Energy” to the table.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups brown sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 stick salted butter
  • 1 oz Remy Martin VSOP Cognac
  • 1 oz Old Overholt 114 Rye
  • 1/2 oz brown butter syrup
  • 4 dashes Angostura bitters
  • 2 dashes Regan’s Orange bitters
  • Orange peel

Instructions

For the syrup:

  1. In a pot over medium heat, add 4 cups brown sugar to 2 cups water, stirring until completely dissolved.
  2. In a small saucepan, add 1 stick of salted butter, whisking continuously over medium-low heat until the butter has melted completely and it begins to brown and foam.
  3. Remove from heat and slowly add your brown butter into your brown sugar syrup.
  4. Remove brown butter syrup from heat and let sit for 30-40 minutes or until it reaches room temperature.
  5. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer. Bottle and refrigerate for up to one month.

For the cocktail:

  1. Add all ingredients to a large mixing glass, top with ice, and stir to combine–about 20-30 seconds.
  2. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

Story by Maggie Weaver
Recipes by Kaitlin Fellers
Styling by Keith Recker
Photography by Dave Bryce

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