Drawn butter is butter that is melted either whole or clarified.

More info: When most recipes call for drawn butter, they generally mean to melt the butter allowing the milk solids to separate and sink to the bottom. The remaining butter is then ladled out for use.

Types of Butter

Raw Cream Butter:

You won't find raw cream butter at the supermarket.  This butter is made with raw cream that has not been pasteurized. The pasteurization process kills bacteria and microbes.

Sweet Cream Butter:

Made from pasteurized fresh cream, sweet cream butter is the most common and most widely consumed in the United States.  This butter contains at least 80% fat, 15-16% water, with the remaining bulk consisting of lactose and proteins.

Salted Sweet Cream Butter:

The addition of salt to sweet cream butter was originally for the purpose of preservation.  Salted butter contains between 1-2% salt or the equivalent of 1-2 teaspoons per pound.

European Style Butter: 

With a higher fat content, European style butters are often favored by pastry chefs.  Fat content in these butters can be as high as 85% and contain 10-20% less water than traditional butters.

Whipped Butter:

More easily spreadable, butter is injected with nitrogen gas to increase its volume by a third.