Warm Drinks
Hot Buttered Rum
A tavern drink from the 1700s: a spoon of spiced butter melted into dark rum and boiling water. Strictly for the grown-ups.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
A tavern drink from the 1700s, when a mug of this was considered medicine for a cold night. A spoon of spiced butter, dark rum, boiling water, and fresh nutmeg over the top.
Ingredients
- Spiced butter: 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- Pinch of salt
- 2 oz dark rum per mug
- Boiling water
Instructions
- Beat the butter, both sugars, spices, and salt together until fluffy. This keeps a week in the fridge.
- Drop a heaping tablespoon of the spiced butter into a warmed heatproof mug.
- Pour in 2 oz dark rum.
- Top with 6 oz boiling water and stir until the butter fully melts.
- Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and serve at once, while the butter still floats.
Why it works & making it ahead
Make the spiced butter days ahead — it keeps a week in the fridge and a month in the freezer, and it is the only part with any work in it. Warm the mug first so the butter melts smooth instead of clinging. Strictly for the grown-ups; swap the rum for strong black tea and the children can join in.
Adults only. For a version the whole porch can drink, replace the rum with strong black tea or hot cider.
More like this
Cauldron Mulled Cider
40 min · serves 8
Graveyard Hot Cocoa
15 min · serves 4
Pumpkin Patch Steamer
10 min · serves 4