Hot Buttered Rum
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Hot buttered rum is a
mixed drink A mixed drink is a Drink, beverage in which two or more ingredients are Drink mixer, mixed. Types * List of non-alcoholic mixed drinks—A non-alcoholic mixed drink (also known as virgin cocktail, temperance drink, or mocktail) is a cocktail-sty ...
containing
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
,
butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
, hot water or
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the Fermented drink, fermented Apple juice, juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and Ireland. The United Kingdom has the world's highest ...
, a sweetener, and various
spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
s (usually
cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, biscuits, b ...
,
nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed, or the ground spice derived from the seed, of several tree species of the genus '' Myristica''; fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg ('' M. fragrans'') is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fru ...
, and
clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands, or Moluccas, in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring, or Aroma compound, fragrance in fin ...
s). It is especially popular in the fall and winter and is traditionally associated with the
holiday season The Christmas season or the festive season, also known as the holiday season or the holidays, is an annual period generally spanning from November or December to early January. Incorporating Christmas Day and New Year's Day, the various celebrat ...
. 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 and a strengthener of the body.


Variations

In ''How to Mix Drinks: Or, The Bon-vivant's Companion'', mid-19th-century bartender Jerry Thomas provides two recipes (No. 207 and 208, p. 80) for hot rum drinks. The first is called Hot Spiced Rum. The recipe calls for sugar, Jamaica rum, cloves, allspice, butter, and hot water. The second is simply called Hot Rum, and the recipe is the same as for Hot Spiced Rum but omits the spices. Instead, a bit of nutmeg is grated over the top of the drink. Some versions call for vanilla ice cream as a substitute or complement to the butter for added creaminess. New versions that some believe to be healthier employ organic coconut oil instead of butter.


Tiki versions

''Hot Buttered Rum'' saw new interest in the 1940s as a
Tiki In Māori mythology, Tiki is the first man created by either Tūmatauenga or Tāne. He found the first woman, Marikoriko, in a pond; she seduced him and he became the father of Hine-kau-ataata. By extension, a tiki is a large or small woo ...
drink when it was typically served in a ceramic skull mug or modified to become ''Coffee Grog''. Trader Vic provided a recipe for "hot buttered rum batter" in his ''Bartender's Guide'' which called for 1 lb. of brown sugar, 1/4 lb. of butter, salt and other spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves). In touting the virtues of Hot Buttered Rum he also provided a warning: "As usually served, it is a weak little noggin with bits of butter floating on top which look good stuck on the customer's upper lip. I urge the use of a batter in order to make some fine drinks". The batter was also used as a basis in other warm alcoholic drinks of his creation such as the ''Northwest Passage'' and ''Hot Buttered Rum Cow''. Beyond Trader Vic, at least two other different Tiki versions were also made circa 1950. One was the ''Volcano House Hot Buttered Rum'' from the Volcano House Hotel in Hawaii, and the other was the ''Pub and Prow Hot Buttered Rum'' from a Chicago restaurant of the same name. The Volcano House Hotel's recipe was unusual in that it also called for Maraschino liqueur. While overproof rum such as Bacardi 151 or
Stroh Stroh Austria GmbH () is an Austrian manufacturer of liquors, especially spiced rums and high-proof rum-like drinks used in warm drinks and cooking. The Stroh brand is one of the best-known spirits from Austria. The (technically incorrect) ter ...
160 can be used in some versions, early recipes do not call for the drink to be lit on fire when served, even though it is now sometimes done and is part of the presentation for the hot-buttered rum based ''Coffee Grog''.


In popular culture

Kenneth Roberts worked the drink into his story for the bestselling 1937 novel ''
Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...
'', which some also attribute to the drink's renewed popularity in the 1940s. Wrote Roberts: “After a man’s had two—three drinks of hot buttered rum, he don’t shoot a catamount". In White Christmas, Bob Wallace, played by
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, reflects on the winter season in
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...
. Included in his list is "snow-covered slopes, skiing... hot buttered rum, light on the butter," just before starting the song "Snow" (sung by Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney & Vera-Ellen). Some celebrate January 17 as "Hot Buttered Rum Day".


See also

* List of hot beverages *Hot Brandy - a similar Hot Alcoholic Beverage featuring Brandy instead of Rum *
Harvey's Butter Rum Batter Harvey's Butter Rum Batter is an American confectionary company that specializes in batter used for hot buttered rum drinks and other food products. The company was founded in 1952, with headquarters in Bremerton, Washington. History Company f ...
, an American company that produces a prepared mix for the drink


References

{{reflist Tiki drinks Cocktails with rum Christmas food Hot drinks