The Perfect Ingredient For Fat-Washing Spirits Is Already In Your Fridge

Fat-washing spirits might sound like a technique best left to the professionals, but the infusing process can be attempted at home by any aspiring bartenders among us. We spoke to Alex Howard, co-founder and beverage director of Martha My Dear, a neighborhood craft cocktail bar in East Nashville, and The Ariston, a cocktail and cigar lounge in downtown Nashville, for tips on how we might approach this process as first-time fat-washers. According to Howard, the most convenient ingredient to start washing your choices of booze is already in your kitchen. "I think unsalted butter is the perfect ingredient to use for fat-washing," he explains. 

Butter is one of those decadent yet simple fat-washing ingredients that you don't need any special skills to handle. For the novice tinkerer of tipples, combining butter and booze in a container is a great place to start if you're wanting to add a silky mouthfeel to your spirits. "It melts easily, it's versatile, easily accessible, and offers a wonderful rich and creamy texture," Howard encourages. Plus, the resulting taste is one that can quickly upgrade your favorite cocktail recipes.

While other ingredients like duck fat and bacon grease can build a noticeable savory element to fat-washed spirits, and using sweeter elements like Nutella and cookies will create sweeter sips, the overall effect of butter hits a bit more lightly on the tongue. As Howard describes, not only does a butter-washed booze land smooth on the palate, "It also imparts a mellow flavor that everyone is familiar with." For those wanting a more flavorful tipple, however, the process of fat-washing with butter can be manipulated. 

"Browning butter is also an option, which creates a more intense, nutty flavor that creates a dessert-like profile," he explains. Melting butter until it turns brown can help bring nutty, caramelized notes to your spirit. You can also add herbs to your concoctions if you're wanting to create an earthier profile. Regardless, whether you prefer to sip straight or mix your fat-washed booze into an old fashioned cocktail, using butter alone can quickly upgrade your libations. "Overall, it's a great option for countless applications," Howard encourages.