Cold Weather Comfort: Hot Buttered Rum

This time of year most of us, especially those of us who do not drive, are on a constant search for hand warmers. No not gloves or mittens, not even those packets that you can keep inside your gloves to keep your hands warm. We always welcome a warm beverage to reheat our near frozen hands, the warmer the better.

Hot buttered rum: a drink whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Was it born out of a time when no-one trusted the water supply in Europe? Was it first whipped up in England for sailors? Possibly it made its debut in the new world where pioneers needed something warm and flavourful to work their way through the frigid winters. Regardless of which tale is true, this drink will happily comfort any cool commuter upon their arrival home this winter season.

Like the debate over who makes the best cookies, there seems to be countless recipes to make hot buttered rum. You can make it in the glass, pre make a batter of butter and seasonings and the ratios are all over the map. Generally the drink consists of some combination of rum, hot water, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

With so many options let us go over what the main ingredients do for the overall drink and you can draw your own conclusions. The butter is strictly there to provide a fuller mouth feel and beef up the drink. The hot water is there to heat the drink, obviously, and provide the bulk of liquid. The spices provide a depth of flavour and complexity while the rum offers a twist to the taste and also the warming effects that alcohol can offer.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. dark rum

1 Tbsp. salted butter

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. cinnamon

One pinch each of cloves and nutmeg.

Approximately ½ cup of boiling water.

Preparation:

1. Add butter, sugar and spices in the bottom of your glass.
2. Pour 2 oz. of dark or spiced rum into the glass.
3. Fill glass with hot water.
4. Stir until butter and sugar has dissolved.
5. Serve

Coffee and tea are the two heavy hitters year round when it comes to hot drinks but there are a few seasonal varieties that really come to life in the winter months. There are some drinks that are meticulously memorized and we never waiver from the original preparation, but that is more the exception than the rule. A hot chocolate may be excellent for the little ones, but for the grown ups we sometimes need something a little stronger to help with the chill in the air. Armed with this recipe you’re all set for the season. Be it a batch worth for a group or a single serving for that special someone as they come in the door.