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Hot Buttered Rum

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cocktails•american•contains alcohol, contains dairy, vegetarian
20 minutes•8 drinks•

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter – softened
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar – packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 16 ounces dark rum
  • 32 ounces hot water – just off the boil
  • cinnamon stick – for garnish
  • whole nutmeg – freshly grated (for garnish)
Hot Buttered Rum

Instructions

  1. 1.

    In a medium bowl, cream the unsalted butter and dark brown sugar with a spoon until smooth and light, 1–2 minutes.

  2. 2.

    Stir in the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground allspice, and fine salt until a uniform spiced batter forms. Cover and refrigerate while you set up, or keep at room temperature if using immediately.

  3. 3.

    For each drink, spoon 1 tablespoon of the spiced batter into a heatproof mug and add 2 ounces dark rum.

  4. 4.

    Pour in 4 ounces hot water, just off the boil, and stir until the batter fully dissolves and the drink turns glossy and aromatic, 10–15 seconds.

  5. 5.

    Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a light grating of whole nutmeg. Serve hot.

Hot Buttered Rum is a warm, silky cocktail built on the comforting richness of butter and brown sugar balanced by spice and the deep, molasses-toned warmth of dark rum. The heat lifts aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, creating an inviting, wintery bouquet with a gently sweet palate. The texture is creamy yet light once the batter melts, and the finish is soothing, with a lingering spice that complements the rum’s complexity.

Rooted in early American drinking traditions, Hot Buttered Rum dates to at least the 18th century, when New England’s access to Caribbean rum made it a household staple in cold months. It evolved from toddies and flips, adopting a distinctive “batter” of butter, sugar, and spice that set it apart from simpler rum-and-water mixtures. Over time it became a holiday mainstay across the United States, with regional twists emerging but the essential formula—rum, hot water, and spiced butter—remaining a hallmark of American winter hospitality.