Drinking Caramel with Bourbon

Drinking caramel with bourbon (optional) is a luscious blend of milk and caramel with just a hint of alcohol. Sweet. Mellow. Toasty. Cosy. Indulgent. This hot drinking caramel recipe is comfort in a mug.

Try a salted caramel rice krispie treat with your drink. Coffee lovers should give my salted caramel latte a try.

This drinking caramel recipe is a blend of homemade caramel sauce, milk and a restrained hint of bourbon.

But I bet you’re wondering why I didn’t just create some hot caramel milk, add a stiff (aka large) shot of Bourbon and be done with it.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bourbon-loaded drink does sound lush. However, for once (and only once) I didn’t particularly want to create an intensely alcoholic drink that would knock your socks off and… hic… render you useless for the rest of the day or night.

I wanted to devise a more subtle drink that was indulgent, warming and comforting. I wanted sweet, mellow, toasty notes that make you feel cosy as you sip it. In addition, I wanted to make a drinking caramel that could be enjoyed at pretty much any time of day including breakfast.

Too much Bourbon would have upset the mix in this drinking caramel. Only a small measure is needed to keep that balance of flavours.

How to Make this Hot Caramel Milk Recipe

If you can make caramel sauce then you can easily make this drinking caramel.

To avoid measuring out piddly amounts of alcohol each time you want to enjoy this caramel milk drink I’ve created a bourbon caramel sauce. It is this sauce that is used as the base flavouring in this hot caramel milk drink:

• Put the water into a heavy based saucepan and spread the sugar on top in an even layer
• Allow the sugar to gradually melt over a medium heat, swirling the pan a couple of times to ensure the caramel cooks evenly
• Once the sugar has melted, the caramel will begin to darken. Continue to let it cook until it reaches a lovely amber colour
• Add the cream and the salt and mix with a small handheld whisk until fully incorporated
• Stir in the Bourbon

Once the sauce is ready, it’s a simple case of blending a portion into some steamed milk and serving, preferably with a generous swirl of cream on top of the glass and a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg.

If you don’t have a coffee machine with a steaming arm it’s fine to use hot milk for this recipe instead.

I don’t like Bourbon. What else could I use?

Bourbon and milk are a winning combination in my mind. But if this spirit is not your thing, or if you fancy a change, there are alternatives:

• Dark rum (or even spiced rum) makes a wonderful addition to this drink in place of the bourbon
• Likewise, you could also try a splash of either brandy or whisky as alternatives.

Of course, you can leave out the booze completely and enjoy a non-alcoholic version. That’s exactly what I do if I’m planning on treating my girls to this drinking caramel.

That said, my advice is not to ditch the Bourbon unless you really have to since Bourbon and milk are naturals together.

In this drinking caramel the Bourbon imparts warmth & toastiness to the sweet vanilla notes of the caramel. This luscious blend of flavours makes this steamed milk recipe immensely pleasurable to slurp when the chilly winds of autumn and the long, dark nights of winter wrap around us.

Serving suggestions

There are so many treat to serve with this warming caramel drink. Here are a few options:

Find more caramel recipes: