Aged rum, melted butter and brown sugar steam together in the mug, the butter lending a rich, silky body that coats the tongue while the rum's caramel depth keeps the sweetness grounded. Cinnamon, clove and a whisper of allspice rise with the heat, and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg on top makes it unmistakably a cold-weather drink.
Garnish: Grated Nutmeg
built · Mug
add
Add the softened butter, brown sugar syrup, cloves, and allspice dram to a warmed mug.
build
Pour in the aged rum.
top
Top with near-boiling water, filling the mug.
stir
Stir well with a cinnamon stick until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves into a silky, spiced pour.
garnish
Grate fresh nutmeg over the surface and leave the cinnamon stick in as a stirrer.
No single inventor stands behind Hot Buttered Rum — it grew out of the New England rum trade of the 1650s, when households kept their own closely guarded versions and rum was believed to strengthen the body. Jerry Thomas set the build down in his 1862 How to Mix Drinks, listing it as "Hot Spiced Rum" next to a variant finished with grated nutmeg. In the 1940s Trader Vic gave the old warmer new life as a tiki staple, building his version around a batter.