Ingredients:
- 1 cup Granulated White Sugar
- 1/4 cup Filtered Water
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (warmed)
- 1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt (for sauce)
- 5 fl oz Vodka (per serving)
- 1 fl oz Coffee Liqueur (per serving)
- 1 Tbsp Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce (cooled, per serving)
- 1–1.5 fl oz Light Cream (Half-and-Half, per serving)
- Ice, as needed
Instructions:
- Combine the granulated sugar and the 60 ml of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Do not stir.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil and cook undisturbed until the syrup turns a deep amber colour, roughly 8–10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully whisk in the cold cubes of unsalted butter, one at a time, until fully melted and smooth. The mixture will bubble violently; continue whisking.
- Slowly drizzle the pre-warmed heavy cream into the caramel while whisking constantly until the mixture is uniform and silky smooth.
- Whisk in the flaky sea salt. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof jar or bowl and let it cool completely to room temperature (about 30 minutes). The sauce will thicken significantly as it cools.
- (Optional): Coat the rim of the rocks glass with a little caramel sauce, then dip the rim into a shallow plate of flaky sea salt for an elegant finish.
- Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the cooled salted caramel sauce directly to the bottom of the glass.
- Pour in the 45 ml of vodka and 30 ml of coffee liqueur. Stir gently with a bar spoon to combine the spirits and dissolve the caramel sauce.
- Fill the glass nearly to the top with fresh ice cubes.
- Slowly pour the 30–45 ml of light cream (Half-and-Half) over the back of a spoon held just above the liquid base. This allows the cream to gently layer or 'float' on top.
- Garnish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled directly on the cream layer. Serve immediately.