Mixologist Corner Aaron Zentner

Hot Buttered Rum for Two

By Mixologist: Aaron Zentner

After the high of the holidays, I’ve found myself looking for something warm to take the edge off. Winter doesn’t really hit until February, and if you’re spending a night in with a loved one, a warm glass of buttery overproof liquid is exactly what the doctor ordered to warm things up. Hot buttered rum has flown under the radar for far too long and I am writing the article to actively put an end to that.

Hot Buttered Rum

Photo: Aaron Zentner

Here is my preferred recipe for hot buttered rum, and while it is over the top in a lot of ways, the juice is absolutely worth the squeeze. This recipe is built to compliment the inyour-face banana-y, funky flavor of an overproof Jamaican rum in which I recommend something molasses driven like Hampden Overproof. Not a fan of rum? Sub it out for your spirit of choosing or whatever you have on hand. Bourbon? Rye? Cognac? Barrel aged gin? Anything strong works.

Hot Buttered Rum for two:

3 oz Hampden Overproof Rum

1 oz Winter Spice Syrup*

2 tbsp Butter Batch**

8 oz Hot Water

Building the Cocktail (Serves two): Add 1 oz of Winter Spice Syrup and 2 tablespoons butter batch into a small mixing bowl. Add 8 oz of hot water and whisk thoroughly to incorporate syrup and dissolve butter. Lastly, add 3 oz Hampden Overproof Rum or spirit of your choosing into the mixture. Portion into mugs and enjoy.

*Winter Spice Syrup:

300g or 1 1/2 cups cane sugar, 150g or 2/3 cups water, 5 whole cloves, 10 allspice berries, 1 Cassia cinnamon stick, 2 star anise & 10 black peppercorns

Begin by toasting cloves, allspice berries, Ceylon cinnamon, star anise and black peppercorns over low heat in small saucepan. Once lightly toasted, add cane sugar and water to saucepan and bring heat up to medium high. Whisk until sugar is well dissolved and spices are well infused. Pour through a mesh strainer to remove spices, place in a syrup bottle or container and refrigerate. This syrup will last 3-4 weeks under refrigeration.

**Butter Batch:

227g or 1/2 lb softened unsalted butter, 80g or 1/3 cup refined sugar, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground mace, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional), 1 Madagascar vanilla bean

**Butter Batch: Begin by adding softened butter, refined sugar and salt into a mixing bowl or stand mixer. If any spices you have purchased are whole, blitz in a blender into a fine powder. (Note: it is very important that the spices are well ground in a fine powder. Texturally speaking, large chunks of spice are not desirable in this cocktail.) Split vanilla bean down the center lengthwise with a small knife and scrape seeds. Add nutmeg, mace, clove, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger and vanilla seeds into a bowl and thoroughly incorporate with whisk or rubber spatula. Place butter batch in container. This will keep under refrigeration for two months)

Tools Needed:

Kitchen scale, Small saucepan, Whisk, scale Small saucepan, Whisk, Mixing bowl, Measuring spoons, Measuring cups, Cocktail jigger, Mesh strainer, Small Kitchen Knife, Blender or spice grinder & Stand Mixer (optional)