Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cost Plus World Market and contains affiliate links. I only recommend products and companies I love. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Sometimes, it can feel like summer here in North Carolina all the way until November. But as soon as the calendar flips to September, I start pulling out the trappings of fall — pumpkins, plaid blankets, scented candles and my favorite chilly weather recipes.
A homemade hot buttered rum cocktail is one of my favorite cool weather treats. It’s just the thing after a chilly day at the pumpkin patch or for sipping around the fire pit.
Throughout the fall and winter, I keep a jar of hot buttered rum mixture in the refrigerator so I can offer guests a steaming mug of comfort. (It’s also “good medicine” if you have a cold!)
While you can buy already-prepared spiced liquor to use in your hot buttered rum, it’s so much better if you make your own infused spiced rum. Ever since I bought the Infuse: Oil, Spirit, Water cookbook at Cost Plus World Market, I’ve been obsessed with making my own cocktail infusions. (Remember my jalapeno bourbon limeade and pineapple rum?)
To make the infused rum, you’ll need a mason jar cocktail shaker or large mason jar, cotton cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer, assorted spices, dark rum and a decorative glass bottle to store your infused rum.
World Market has an impressive selection of whole and ground spices to use in infused spiced rum. I love exploring the food section at the Winston-Salem, N.C., store, and I can’t wait for the new Greensboro location to open in a few months.
For this recipe, I used whole rainbow peppercorns, Madagascar vanilla beans, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, star anise and allspice berries, as well as fresh ginger and orange zest from the grocery store. (See the recipe at the end of the post for exact ingredients and step-by-step instructions.)
The hot buttered rum mix features many of the same spices and fall flavors — brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves creamed together.
The scent reminds me of cookies baking in the oven! (Again the exact recipe is at the end of this post.)
To make a mug of hot buttered rum, spoon two tablespoons of the butter mixture into a mug. (I love the Organic Glazed Belly Mugs from World Market.) Next, add 1-3 ounces of the infused spiced rum and top with boiling water from a teakettle and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Finish things off with some whipped cream. Garnish with ground nutmeg, a cinnamon stick and star anise.
You can also make a large batch of this on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, as detailed in the recipe below. And if you want to make this kid-friendly, you can just omit the rum and add more water.
- 750 ML good quality dark rum
- ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
- 3 allspice berries
- 4 peppercorns
- ½ piece star anise
- ⅛ teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
- 3-inch piece of orange zest (without any white pith)
- Pour the rum into a large glass jar.
- Add spices.
- Seal with jar lid and shake to blend.
- Set in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 days. Shake the mixture daily to incorporate the flavors.
- Use cheesecloth in a funnel or a fine mesh strainer to strain the solids out of the rum.
- Transfer the infused rum to a decorative glass bottle.
- 1 stick butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- pinch of ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- spiced rum
- boiling water
- whipped cream
- cinnamon sticks, nutmeg and star anise for garnish
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar and ground spices.
- Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the butter mixture into a mug. Top with 1 to 3 ounces of dark, spiced rum.
- Fill mug with boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise and ground nutmeg.
- To make the slow-cooker version of this recipe, add the butter and sugar mixture to the slow cooker or a pan and top with 2 quarts of hot water.
- If you like, add a few cinnamon sticks and whole cloves while it’s steeping. Your house will smell amazing!
- Cook over low heat for 5 to 6 hours, until sugar is dissolved and butter has completely melted.
- Ladle into mugs and add rum, as desired. This is a great option if you want to make a non-alcoholic version for kids.
If you make these recipes, you can store the butter mixture in the refrigerator for about a week. (A 1/2 liter Weck jar is the perfect size!) The rum will keep indefinitely.
I’m actually planning to making a large batch of hot buttered rum when we have friends over this fall.
World Market is celebrating fall recipes, entertaining and decorating with an amazing sale through 9/10/2017. It’s a great time to get your home ready for seasonal entertaining before the holiday rush. You can pick up lots of the entertaining essentials and fall decorations I featured in this post during the sale.
Save 50 percent off all dining and dining furniture, 30 percent off all dinnerware and table linens, 20 percent off all bar carts and 20 percent to 50 percent off all chandeliers and pendants.
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Find the recipe ingredients, entertaining essentials and home decor featured in this post at the links below.
Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker
Cotton Cheesecloth
Fine Mesh Strainer
Glass Bottle with Clamp Stopper
Whole Rainbow Peppercorns
Madagascar Vanilla Beans
Whole Nutmeg
Cinnamon Sticks
Whole Cloves
Star Anise
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg
Organic Glazed Belly Mugs
Copper Measuring Spoons
Mini Copper Hammered Teakettle
Wooden Bark Charger
1/2 Liter Weck Glass Jar
1/5 Liter Weck Glass Jar
Blue Palampore Anika Kitchen Towel
Paige Dining Chairs
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