recipe from food52

i love this recipe’s color, texture, use of homemade butterscotch and apple cider. it’s positively delicious to sip when it’s frigid outside.

that being said [like all butterbeer recipes] the drink is pretty sweet, so it’s not the kind of thing i’ll be sipping regularly. (i also suspect it will amp your kids UP so…if serving to little ones you’ve been warned. that being said it’s a wonderful halloween night or thanksgiving special treat!)

since i’m not serving a crowd, i make the syrup as directed then reduce the remainder of recipe to 1/3, and add as much butterscotch syrup as i want. next time i think it would be interesting to swap the ginger ale for ginger beer, to see if that increases the spiciness, and maybe cuts down on the sweetness? it has also been suggested that adding rum makes it a wonderful adult beverage, and i’ve seen alternate versions where real beer has been used, which also looks pretty spectacular.

| ingredients |
for the butterscotch syrup:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the butterbeer:
1/3 cup ginger ale
1 cup apple cider

for serving:
whipped cream and demerara sugar* or sprinkles, for garnish

*demerara sugar is by no means crucial to this recipe, but if you happen to have it on hand it does have a lovely toffee flavor that’s perfect in this beverage.

| method |

in a small saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and sea salt. bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until thick. remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

in a medium saucepan, heat the apple cider until very hot. add in the desired amount of butterscotch syrup and stir until fully dissolved. remove from heat and whisk in the ginger ale. top with desired toppings and serve hot!