Hot Buttered Rum

Do you know you can literally drink a spiced dessert in a mug?

That’s basically what a hot buttered rum is.
It looks like a cocktail, smells like a Christmas cake, and feels like someone just wrapped your insides in a blanket.

This version leans into brown sugar, butter, warm spices, and a bit of orange zest. You mix everything into a paste, stash it in the fridge, and when you’re ready to drink, you just scoop, add rum, top with hot water, and stir till it’s glossy and smells like winter.

It’s the kind of drink that warms you right down to your toes.

What makes this hot buttered rum so good?

A few small things:

• Brown + white sugar combo
  Brown sugar brings that deep, caramel flavour. A bit of white sugar helps keep the sweetness clean and direct. Together they taste like the base of a good dessert.

• Properly melted butter
  The butter has to be fully melted before you mix it in.
  If it’s half-soft and half-solid, it doesn’t blend cleanly and you’ll see buttery chunks floating around in the drink. When it’s melted and whisked in, the final mug looks glossy and feels silky.

• The spices

  • Cinnamon for warmth and sweetness.

  • Freshly grated nutmeg for that cozy, bakery-style aroma.

  • Orange zest to cut through the richness with a bright, citrusy note.

• Rum + hot water
  Dark rum brings molasses, vanilla, and dried fruit notes. Hot water stretches everything out and turns that buttery, spiced paste into a proper, sippable drink.

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Recipe

Ingredients

For 2 mugs

• Dark rum – 60 ml (about 2 oz)

• Brown sugar – 1 tbsp (packed)

• White sugar – 1 tbsp

• butter – 1 tbsp, melted

• Orange zest – ½–1 tsp, finely grated

• Ground cinnamon – ¼ tsp

• Freshly grated nutmeg – a small pinch

• Salt – a tiny pinch

• Hot water – 120–150 ml (½–⅔ cup), just off the boil

Optional garnish:

• Cinnamon stick

• Extra orange peel strip

Method

1. Make the spiced butter-sugar paste

In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and white sugar.

Melt the butter fully (microwave or on the stove) and pour it over the sugars. Whisk until you get a smooth, glossy mixture — no visible lumps of butter. This step matters; if the butter isn’t melted enough, it won’t integrate nicely in the glass later.

Add the orange zest, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and a tiny pinch of salt.
Mix again until it turns into a thick, fragrant paste.

At this point, you can either use it immediately or store it in the fridge for a quick drink later.

2. Build the drink

Spoon a generous spoonful of this paste into a heatproof glass or mug.

Pour in the dark rum and give it a quick stir to start dissolving the sugar and spices.

Top with hot water (just off the boil), stirring as you pour. Keep stirring until everything is dissolved and the drink looks glossy and uniform.

3. Serve

Garnish with a cinnamon stick or a strip of orange peel if you want it to look extra pretty.

Sip slowly while it’s still hot. It should taste like a spiced, boozy caramel dessert in a mug: buttery, warm, slightly citrusy, and very comforting.

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Little tips

• Don’t skimp on the salt – it stops the drink from tasting flat or overly sweet.

• Use dark rum – it stands up better to the butter and spices than a light rum.

• Too sweet? Add a splash more hot water or reduce the sugar next time.

Share this drink with someone who needs a proper winter warm-up – the kind you feel in your fingers and toes – and as always, happy cooking.