A Cheer-Filled
🎄Winter ❄️Warmer☃️
This is a most delicious holiday cocktail or mocktail. Warm cider in a mug that’s been flavored with a compound butter of holiday spices, then make it a Hot Buttered Rum or even a Hot Buttered Bourbon. This is a warm you up you’re going to love. If you’ve never tried one, this is the time. Truth is, this cocktail is delicious with our without the spike. You decide! Try a Hot Buttered Rum this holiday season and let me know what you think!
The Search for a Cocktail Classic
Many years ago, I got the urge, simply based upon the name, to try a Hot Buttered Rum. The truth is, I am drawn to anything that has a name that includes butter (notice how I got the “drawn” in there?) It was one of those incredibly wet and cold weekends, where a steaming hot, mug-filled ☕️ drink sounded like the perfect warm-up. My friend Eileen and I got into her car 🚗 and the adventure began.
Off we went in search of a Hot Buttered Rum. By the way, this was in no way our first rodeo. We’d had similar days. The search for the perfect hot Saki 🍶, the perfect Irish coffee☕️, etc. She’s also one of the friends who took me out for the perfect beer🍺. That’s right, “beer-day” was the only day I’d ever managed to actually drink a beer (or two).
Hot Butter Rum Day was way before Uber or Lyft, but don’t worry about our drinking and driving. The truth is, even if they’d heard of a Hot Buttered Rum, certainly no one knew how to make one. Eventually we did find one guy who was willing to give it a try. It was just okay. So many years later and after some practice, I can tell you, my recipe is delicious! This is a cold weather drink that deserves a come-back. I suggest this one for sneaking into a thermos on parade night, outside by a fire or just taking the chill off with good friends. The spices and the apple cider with the rum is also a perfect bit of holiday cheer! 🎄❄️☃️
For the Compound Butter
Into a small bowl, add 1 stick of softened, unsalted butter, add 1/4 cup of packed dark brown sugar, the spices and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Lay out a piece of parchment paper onto a small baking sheet. Put 1 teaspoon dollops of the compound spice butter into neat heaps on the paper. Chill until solid. Put the chilled butter into the freezer for individual servings.
(If you have left over butter, it’s delicious on toast or other warm breakfast treats!)
Chill spiced compound butter for easy to make servings
For the Cocktail
Into a small sauce pan, warm the cider.
For each individual serving, add 1 ounce of light rum and 1 ounce of dark rum per glass, Add 1 to 1 1/2 pats of the compound butter, then top each mug with warm cider. Mix well and serve. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Cheers!
Bourbon Lovers! This is just as good, maybe even better when you make it with Bourbon!
Hot Buttered Rum (Spiked Cider) ☃️
Notes
If you love Bourbon, this drink is wonderful, just substitute the bourbon for the rum and you've got a hot buttered bourbon!
This makes a great mocktail too. If you don't want to add alcohol, it's still perfectly delicious and something special to serve the kids instead of hot cocoa.
Ingredients
For the Cocktail
- 1 ounce dark or spiced rum
- 1 ounce of light rum
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of spiced compound butter*
- 5 ounces hot cider
Garnish: Cinnamon Stick
For the Compound Spice Butter
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon each of: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves
Instructions
For the compound butter
- Into a small bowl, add the softened butter, add the brown sugar, the spices and a pinch of salt. Mix well. Lay out a piece of parchment paper onto a small baking sheet. Put 1 teaspoon of compound spice butter into neat dollops on the paper. Chill until solid. Put the chilled butter into the freezer, wrapped in plastic, for individual servings.
For the Cocktail
- Into a small sauce pan, warm the cider.
- For each individual serving, add 1 ounce of light rum and 1 ounce of dark rum per glass, Add 1 individual 1 to 1 1/2 dollops of the compound butter, then top each mug with warm cider. Mix well and serve.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
