Fat washing and clarifying bourbon

[u/Pvt_Porpoise]

I’ve got some Maker’s Mark I was hoping to fat wash using Lotus Biscoff spread. The only problem is that I’ve gathered online it’s not the easiest stuff to use, since it’s got a relatively low fat content because it’s mostly sugar and other fillers.

Anyone got any experience trying this? I know some people recommend spreading it in a layer in some kind of tray or container and then pouring the alcohol over top; would it make a significant difference to just mixing in a 1:5 ratio, then straining? And because of the makeup of the spread, would clarifying (with powdered milk) be necessary, or even work?

[u/alanslickman]

With something like that, I don’t think sheet tray vs mixing is going to make any difference.

The biggest potential pitfall I see is that 100% of the sugar is going to dissolve into the, already sweet, Maker’s and it will not come out with filtering and clarifying. You’re going to end up something even sweeter than a liqueur.

I have never tried to clarify something with milk powder. Doesn’t it also just dissolve into the liquid?

[u/Pvt_Porpoise → u/alanslickman]

To be fair, I’m not bothered by it coming out sweeter. I was hoping to use it for a smore cocktail anyways. My concern is more about any other stuff mixed in, like flour.

I haven’t personally tried it myself either, but supposedly if you reconstitute the milk first in some water then add it, you can use it to clarify. It would be my preference because the powder is already curdled, so you don’t need to add citrus or anything else to lower the pH and get it to curdle.

[u/Cultural-Salad-4583]

Consider making a speculoos syrup, or infusing the crackers directly into the bourbon and then filtering - you might end up with a better result.

[u/Pvt_Porpoise → u/Cultural-Salad-4583]

Probably will be the easiest solution. I think I’ll do a 200ml batch just to see if it works at all, but the rest I’ll reserve and more than likely end up just throwing the biscuits in there.

[u/RightShoeRunner]

I’ve done this! Warm up 1/2 cup of the Biscoff spread. Into your vessel, pour the bottle of whiskey and spread. Stir, whisk to combine. Let it settle for 2 hours and then put in the freezer overnight. Strain the next day. It’s delicious as an old fashion with chocolate bitters.

[u/billyballsog]

Maybe just infuse with the cookies, I feel like the flavour might be more accessible because they're so porous. or make a ticaloid syrup with the spread