Brown Butter Spiced Ale

The latest Food52 contest was all about beer, I love a challenge and wanted to create a drink using beer that could comfortably be consumed when it’s cold outside. I primarily think of beer as a summer drink. A hot buttered rum came to mind so I set about switching the ingredients so as to use beer instead of rum and water. I thought that an ale would be nice and added browned butter, brown sugar, some spices and a splash of brandy and the result is really quite delicious. It’s a great way to enjoy beer if you live in a cold climate. The bitterness of the ale is offset by the sugar and spice and the browned butter adds a richness reminiscent of a hot buttered rum. I was so pleased that the recipe was chosen to be tested as a community pick and was thrilled to see that it was chosen to be showcased and photographed by the editors at food52. Kukla, one of our outstanding community members tested the recipe and wrote a lovely review. Here is the recipe, I hope you enjoy if you decide to give it a try.

Serves 2

• 12 ounces ale of your choice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• splashes brandy (about 1 tablespoon) per glass
• 1 Cinnamon stick for garnish

1. Add butter to small saucepan and melt on medium heat. Cook until butter becomes a light brown and has a slightly nutty smell (approximately 3 minutes). Reduce heat to low and add brown sugar and spices — cook until brown sugar is dissolved and the mixture is paste-like. Scrape into small bowl or ramekin and cover with foil to keep warm.
2. Add the ale to the same saucepan and heat on medium until hot. Spoon two tablespoonds of the spiced butter mixture in serving glass, pour hot ale into glass and add a splash of brandy (about 1 or 2 tablespoons) and stir. Garnish with cinnamon stick.

Photo by James Ransom for Food52