What qualifies as butterscotch I am working on a creation: probably will end up being a Butterscotch Blondie Cheesecake.

Here is where the butterscotch debate comes in: 

1) Some claim butterscotch is only "pure" when it is simply butter and dark brown sugar (melted correctly into a sauce, of course). 

2) Others think it still counts if there is vanilla and sea salt 

3) Others think as long as you start with butterscotch base, you're dealing with butterscotch- and add bourbon or scotch (despite the name, probably didn't originally include scotch...the things you learn when researching), or other flavoring notes.
According to  this article from Wikipedia , your debate points 1 &amp; 2 could both be correct.


  Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, although other ingredients such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are part of some recipes. According to "Housewife's Corner" in an 1848 newspaper, the real recipe for "making Doncaster butterscotch is one pound of butter, one pound of sugar and a quarter of a pound of treacle, boiled together."


While I have never seen any recipe or reference that included adding liquor to butterscotch, and I wouldn't personally consider it essential, it's not too much of a stretch to think that someone has done it.