HOT BUTTERED RUM

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                              H O T   B U T T E R E D  R U M

                                       INTRODUCTION

As the holiday season quickly approaches, attention is focused on fashioning a cocktail that not only warms the body but also the spirit. If there was a rum cocktail that could ever be considered a comfort food it would most certainly be the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail, also known as the Hot Rum Toddy. Hot Buttered Rum has been comforting rum aficionados, as well as those seeking an escape from the cold, since the Colonial era. Made from dark rum, butter, sugar, and multiple spices, the traditional Hot Buttered Rum drink is famous within the cocktail industry, yet very much unknown to the casual cocktail drinker. With multitudes of spirited cocktail options available today to keep one warm on a cold night, it’s no wonder that Hot Buttered Rum has become lost in the shuffle this past century. But thanks to some interesting variations on the original recipe, Hot Buttered Rum is slowly making a quiet comeback.

                               MATERIALS & METHODS

                                     Traditional Hot Buttered Rum Recipe (1)

  • Dark rum– 2.0 oz (60 mL)
  • Butter, unsalted – 1 TBSP
  • Light brown sugar – 1 Tsp
  • Allspice – 1/8 Tsp
  • Ground cloves – 1/8 Tsp
  • Ground cinnamon – 1/8 Tsp
  • Ground nutmeg – 1/8 Tsp
  • Boiling water
  1. Place the butter, light brown sugar, and all the spices in a glass mug.
  2. Muddle all ingredients together inside the glass mug.
  3. Add rum to the mixture.
  4. Fill glass mug with boiling water.
  5. Serve immediately.

                                    DISCUSSION

Historical Origin

Hot Buttered Rum is traditionally popular in winter months and during the holiday season. Dating back to the Colonial era it should be no surprise that colonists and sailors grabbed whatever ingredients that they had available to make cocktails. It was during this era that the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail was born. It is likely the cocktail dates to 1655, when rum replaced brandy in the British Royal Navy’s ration after the British empire captured Jamaica and they drank beverages like Hot Buttered Rum to stay warm (2). However, Jerry Thomas, a mid-19th century mixologist, was the first to memorialize the cocktail in written word when he published The Bartender’s Guide in 1887. Evolution and ComebackWhile quite popular in early maritime history, Hot Buttered Rum’s popularity slowly faded into smaller circles with the rise of other spirits such as whiskey, vodka, and tequila. Ultimately, it was global trade policies that effected the rum industry and it became less appealing to have the cocktail with so many other options from which to choose. Today, thanks to modern mixology and experimentation, the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail is making a comeback. Victor Bergeron (Trader Vic’s) included a Tiki version of the cocktail in his 1946 publication, Book of Food and Drink.  Over the years others have added ice cream to reinvigorate the cocktail’s attractiveness. 

Flavor Profile

The traditional Hot Buttered Rum recipe utilizes eight key ingredients. To create savory success, the cocktail is more than just the sum of its eight individual parts however. The quality of the preparation and the muddling of the initial ingredients are equally important. If not thoroughly combined, the cocktail will be nothing more than butter in a mug filled with rum.

Rum

While the traditional Hot Buttered Rum recipe does call for a heavy-bodied (dark) rum, a light (white) rum may also be used if the goal is to allow the multiple spices to be present more in the cocktail. However, the addition of a heavy (dark) rum, which possesses significantly more esters, produces a blend that is rich in flavor and enhances the aromatic properties of the cocktail.

 Additional Ingredients

The use of butter, sugar and multiple spices to enhance the flavor of the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail was intentional. Colonial era rum was often tough to stomach, and additional ingredients were needed to make rum cocktails palatable.

  • Butter is a dairy product made by churning milk, a process separating the solid fats from the liquid, known as buttermilk (3). Because butter is high in fat content, and it is known that flavor dissolves in fat, butter is an excellent flavor delivery agent for spices which are present in the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail.  
  • Light brown sugar is refined sucrose sugar product, a well-known cocktail sweetener, and has the noticeable addition of molasses. Light brown sugar is used to manufacture the Hot Buttered Rum because it has roughly three percent less molasses than dark brown sugar and is subsequently lighter in color and milder in flavor.
  • Allspice is a bit of a misnomer.  The name might suggest it is a blend, but allspice is a single spice made from dried berries of a plant known as Pimenta dioica, which is a member of the myrtle family and looks like peppercorns. The allspice plant is native to Jamaica, and it is also known as the Jamaican pepper. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World, and named by Dr. Diego Chanca.  The spice contains a fragrant aromatic profile that has a somewhat peppery note which is sensed in the drink (4).
  • Ground cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) comes from the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae (5). The spice, while known to be intense and pungent, is easily detectable and enjoyable at the same time when used in moderation in the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail.
  • Ground cinnamon comes from dried bark from trees in the Cinnamomun family. The spice’s flavor profile has been described as woody, sweet, and spicy, and is an excellent known flavoring agent for hot beverages.
  • Ground nutmeg comes from the fragrant, spicy seeds of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) (6). Nutmeg is a spice with a sweet and nutty profile and combined with the other spices in the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail, enhances the overall aromatic properties of the cocktail.

                                          NUTRITION

When compared to a 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola, which has 140 calories, it is easy to see why the traditional Hot Buttered Rum cocktail is a comfort cocktail, as it possesses almost twice as many calories. Although high in calories, the cocktail which contains butter is not necessarily as unhealthy as it may sound. Recent studies have shown high-fat dairy products like butter have been linked to a reduced risk of obesity, diabetes and heart problems (3).  It is an indulgence to be enjoyed without guilt.Additionally, although the Hot Buttered Rum cocktail calls for two ounces of heavy (dark) rum, which is forty percent ABV (eighty proof), the cocktail itself is not high in alcohol content. The addition of approximately five ounces of boiling water after the rum is added to the muddled mixture dilutes the calorie rich mixture and the alcohol content down to nearly ten percent ABV (twenty proof).

                                     NUTRITION FACTS

                                                       (Amount Per 8 Fl oz cocktail)

Calories:                        271.53

Total Fat:                        13.3 g

Cholesterol:                    31 mg

Sodium:                        100.23 mg

Total Carbohydrates:        8.9 g

Dietary Fiber:                    3 g

Sugar:                               3.2 g

                                       CONCLUSION

Hot Buttered Rum is a delectable rum cocktail that has been enjoyed throughout the world and over many centuries.  Until recently, the drink’s stardom was only celebrated by rum loyalists. Today, thanks to modern mixology practices and experimentation, the cocktail’s popularity is reemerging. While not likely to make it on a restaurant cocktail menu due to the length of time it takes to prepare, when executed and prepared properly at home, the cocktail is sure to help make any chilly winter more bearable and any holiday season more festive!

                                       REFERENCES

  1. The Nibble. (2013). A Recipe for the “Rum Toddy”. Retrieved from https://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cocktails/hot-buttered-rum-hot-toddy.asp 
  2. Marchetti, D. (2013). Holiday Drinks: Hot Buttered Rum. Retrieved from http://www.americanfoodroots.com/features/holiday-drinks-hot-buttered-rum/ 
  3. Link, R. (2019). Is Butter Bad for You, or Good? Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-butter-bad-for-you#what-it-is 
  4. Alfaro, D. (2019). What is Allspice?  Retrieved from: https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-allspice-p2-995556 
  5. Wikipedia. (2019). Cloves. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clove 
  6. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2014). Myristicaceae. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/plant/Myristicaceae