Well, friends, November is upon us. There’s a chill in the air, we’ve added extra blankets to the bed, and all of our favorite foods now contain large quantities of comforting butter. Bring on the mashed potatoes! Gimme the biscuits! Pie? Don’t mind if I do! Hot buttered rum -- now you’re talking!
According to our favorite booze historian, David Wondrich, humans have been putting butter in their beverages since the times of Henry VIII, if not earlier. There are historical records that recommend buttered ales as a remedy for a sore throat. It seems like New England in the colonial era may have been where the concept switched over to a cocktail using spirits. Rum was all the rage in those northern colonies, and they were mixing it with anything and everything.
If the idea of butter in a drink weirds you out (hello, bulletproof coffee…), fear not, because hot buttered rum is combined with so many lovely spices and flavors that will warm your soul and fill your heart with joy. You are essentially make a spiced cookie dough base and then drinking it. What’s better than that?! Enjoy this lovely classic cocktail snuggled up next to a roaring fire. And maybe also with a side of mashed potatoes. Or not. Could be just us. Ahem, alright then. Let’s get to the recipe.
First, make your butter base. This recipe will yield about two cocktails' worth of the base, but if you're making this for a crowd or want to save it to make more cocktails later, you can multiply this easily by four.
1/4 stick of unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of salt
Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat and stir in sugar and spices until fully combined. Remove from heat and set aside. You can make this ahead of time and store it covered in the fridge, or you can use it immediately in its current liquid state in your cocktail.
Next, let's make the cocktail:
(Makes 1 drink)
2 oz. Jamaican or dark rum
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons butter base
Apple cider, heated (optional)
Add the butter base to a preheated mug. Add rum and stir to combine. Top with boiling water, or hot apple cider for an extra yummy variation! Stir gently until well combined. Garnish with a cinnamon stick (you can also use it to stir your cocktail as you drink it!). Sip & enjoy!
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