Cooking Lesson #1121: Noel Hot Buttered Rum Batter

…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? It’s time for some holiday cocktails. As the weather turns to winter and plenty of snow, we need to warm things up a bit. I hate cold weather. So, I move on to my Hot Butter Rum or Fun.
 
Hot buttered rum is a mixed drink containing rum, butter, hot water or cider, a sweetener and various spices (usually cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). My Hot Butter Rum is especially popular in the fall and winter and is traditionally associated with the holiday season. In the United States, hot buttered rum dates back to colonial days. During that time many families had their own recipes, and early Americans believed rum to be nutritious, healthful and a strengthener of the body.
 
Many people often ask, “What does a Hot Buttered Rum taste like?” And what most of them really want to know is, “Does it taste like butter?”
 
Don’t worry, though. Hot Buttered Rum doesn’t taste like you’re drinking butter. Instead, it has a super-rich, sweetly spiced flavor with hints of vanilla. The butter also gives the drink a phenomenal texture. It’s smooth and velvety, a genuine delight to the senses. It’s a complex drink with hidden depths. You’ll love its aromatic spices and gently sweet flavor. And the pleasant, boozy feeling it leaves you with is nothing but the best.
 
Rum is the OG pirate drink, more than just booze—it’s like a symbol of wild adventures and rebellion. It started in the Caribbean, made from sugarcane leftovers, and gets its epic flavor from chilling in oak barrels. Back in the day, rum was the liquid courage for many pirate antics on the high seas. With a history full of mutinies, treasure hunts, and drunken fun, it’s full of surprises.
 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 cocktails
 
For the batter
1 pound dark brown sugar
1/2 pound softened unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
 
For the cocktail
Boiling water
Dark rum
 
Directions
To make the batter

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter together.
2. Add the spices and continue to mix. 
3. Refrigerate the batter until ready to use. 
4. It will keep refrigerated for the entire holiday season.

 
To make a Hot Butter Run Drink

1. Place about 1 tablespoon of the butter batter in an 8-ounce mug.
2. Add 6 ounces of boiling water and 1 ounce of dark rum.
3. Mix well and garnish.

 
ChefSecret:  I like to top My Hot Buttered Rum with a little whipped cream or some mini-marshmallows. A cinnamon stick is nice, too.
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Quip of the Day:  Derrick rode to the liquor store yesterday on his bicycle. He bought a bottle of Rum and put it in the bicycle basket. As he was about to leave, he thought for a moment. “If I fall off the bicycle, the bottle might break.” To avoid that, he drank all of the rum before he left the store. It turned out to be a very good decision because he fell off the bike seven times on his way home.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour2025 #MerryChristmas #HotButteredRum #HolidayHappyHour #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
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