Walnut Recipe

Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, 4–6 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool briefly.

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

Add the toasted walnuts to the warm syrup, cover, and let steep for 30–45 minutes at room temperature for a pronounced walnut flavor.

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean jar, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Discard solids. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Syrup keeps up to 2 weeks chilled.

Prepare glass

If desired, chill an old-fashioned glass in the freezer for 10 minutes or fill with an ice cube to chill while you build the cocktail.

Add bourbon (2 oz), walnut liqueur (0.5 oz), walnut-infused simple syrup (0.5 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.5 oz), and 2 dashes Angostura bitters into a cocktail shaker.

If using egg white (for a silkier texture and froth), add 0.5 oz egg white to the shaker. Perform a dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 10–15 seconds to emulsify.

Add ice (enough to fill shaker about two-thirds) and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well chilled. If you did a dry shake with egg white, this second shake with ice should be energetic to produce a good foam.

Discard ice from chilled old-fashioned glass if you used it to chill. Strain the cocktail over a large ice cube or 2–3 fresh large ice cubes in the glass using a Hawthorne or fine strainer for a smoother texture.

Garnish with a lemon peel twist expressed over the drink, then rub the peel around the glass rim and drop it in. Sprinkle about 1 tsp lightly crushed toasted walnut on top of the foam (or on the ice) for aroma and texture.

Serve immediately. Sip slowly to enjoy the walnut aromatics and rounded bourbon backbone.