This Spiced Hot Buttered Rum combines a winter spice-packed brown sugar butter with rum and orange juice for the ultimate winter warmer cocktail.
(This recipe for Spiced Buttered Rum was originally posted in December 2012, but was updated with new photos in 2019).
Happy Thursday after Christmas, which I am now officially deeming Cocktail Thursday! Mostly because I've skipped about a million Cocktail Fridays in a row due to important holiday posts and I have some major cocktail catching up to do. And also because it's the holiday season and cocktails should be consumed every night.
And also because it's back to work for me today (though I am lucky enough to be able to work from home, which means I can easily transition back into work life… in my pajamas… out of this gross Boston rain). And because I am most definitely not done holiday-celebrating as I'm still celebrating with Chris tonight and with my family this weekend.
Admittedly, putting butter into a cocktail is kind of freaky. I mean, ew? But no. It's chilly and wet and gross here in Boston today and a hot cocktail is just what the doctor ordered (pshh I wish my doctor would order things like that) and a little butter just makes it even more perfect. Trust me on this.
I've always wanted to make hot buttered rum, but just never got around to it, so I'm thrilled I finally did. I kind of think this cocktail is going to be making an appearance in my life quite a bit moving forward. In fact, hot cocktails are definitely going to become my new "thing." And hot buttered cocktails even more so. They just make the winter season much more bearable and bright.
SPICED HOT BUTTERED RUM RECIPE
This spiced hot buttered rum isn't just rum and butter mixed together... It's rum and a deliciously winter spiced butter mixed together, along with hot water and orange juice. It's also a drink that's extremely easy to make, simply requiring you to beat the butter with brown sugar and spices and then to combine it with rum, hot water, and orange juice. Easy, cozy, and delicious!
In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer (if you don't have either, just use a spatula with a lot of arm strength), beat together butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
It will turn into a deliciously sweetly spiced butter. If you think you don't like butter, you're wrong. You'll love this. You'll want to eat it right out of the bowl like it's frosting.
Divide rum into 4 heat-proof glasses (1 ½ oz. or 3 tablespoon in each glass) and add in 2 tablespoon of the spiced butter. If you have extra butter, you can store it in the fridge for about a week.
Pour ⅔ cups water into each glass and stir well. Top off with fresh-squeezed orange juice.
I added a little more grated orange and sprinkled some more nutmeg over the top. Plus, I added a star anise for a little extra fun.
And then snuggled into the couch with my hands wrapped around my mug of spiced hot buttered rum. Seriously nothing cozier.
If you're not used to buttery drinks (and let's be real, most people aren't), this buttered rum might blow your mind a little... In a really wonderful way. It's super smooth and the rum and butter feel like they're absolutely made for each other.
The spices and citrus are perfect and will make you feel instantly cozy. I highly recommend making a spiced hot buttered rum when it's snowing outside and you want to escape and have nothing to do with shoveling.
I'm pretty sure this is also one of those hot drinks you need to sip on if you feel as though you're coming down with a bit of a cold. It will help you feel human again.
I mean, I know it's already not the healthiest to be sipping cocktails at home in the middle of the week. And to add butter to them probably makes it even worse. But I promise this cocktail takes the place of any other dessert you'd need. And? You totally deserve a winter treat.
Happy Cocktail Thursday! 🙂 I hope you all had a glorious Christmas if you celebrate! In fact, I hope you're still celebrating. There really is nothing better than the fact that the New Year comes so soon after Christmas. Helps us ease out of holiday mode a bit more slowly. Enjoy the season!
Have you ever had hot buttered rum?
If you're looking for more delicious hot cocktails, check out my Hot Spiced Cranberry Cocktail or my English Rose Cocktail. I also can't wait to try this Apple Cider Hot Toddy from Stress Baking!
📖 Recipe
Spiced Hot Buttered Rum
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus more for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish
- 6 oz. dark rum
- 3 cups boiling water
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- Star anise, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer (if you don't have either, you can mix in a bowl with a spatula), cream together butter, brown sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Divide rum into 4 heat-proof glasses (1 ½ oz. or 3 tablespoon in each glass) and add in 2 tablespoon of the spiced butter. If you have extra butter, you can store it in the fridge for about a week.
- Pour ⅔ cup water into each glass and stir well. Top off with fresh-squeezed orange juice and sprinkle on additional orange zest and ground nutmeg if desired.
Notes
- Recipe lightly adapted from Martha Stewart.
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
This just proves that butter really does make everything better! Love the grated orange zest on top. Enjoy the rest of the holiday season!
Ashley Bee (Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine) says
I seriously almost googled buttered rum recipes the other day because I was certain "buttered rum" was gross and/or didn't actually exist. This makes me want to try it though!
Side note: I am never buying brown sugar again. Making it at home is so much cheaper and easier, AND you get soft wonderful brown sugar every time! No clumps or rock-hard pieces 🙂
Odetta says
Love this one! Perfect for tonight for sure!
Meghan says
I have been thinking about hot buttered rum lately. Tonight is the perfect night for one (or more)!
Ivy says
I like this post, enjoyed this one appreciate it for putting up.
Connie says
I have an aunt who always drank Hot Buttered Rum at Christmas, but I was always afraid to try it. Now that I am a bit more mature (i.e. "older"), perhaps I should give it a whirl. It sounds like a lot of butter, but I suppose it is more of a sipping drink than a guzzling drink.
Erica says
What a fun drink!! I had a sick baby on Christmas day, so not much drinking for me 😉 Maybe New years eve??