Even though the season of holiday cocktails is behind us, the desire for something warm and comforting to drink during the cold is not. This is when National Hot Buttered Rum Day on January 17 will warm us to the bones.
Keep reading to learn the history of this delicious drink, ways to celebrate this national cocktail day, and get a recipe for homemade hot buttered rum at the bottom of the post.
If you like hot buttered rum, you should also check out this Irish coffee recipe. It’s also a warm, boozy cocktail treat!
What is hot buttered rum?
Hot buttered rum is a mixed alcoholic drink that contains, hot water, rum, butter, a sweetener and spices such as cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.
We tend to think of hot buttered rum as a holiday cocktail (it’s often served at Thanksgiving and Christmas parties) but it is enjoyable during any of the cold months.
The history of hot buttered rum
Hot buttered rum is considered one of the oldest mixed drinks in America.
We can thank our early ancestors for the tradition of hot buttered rum. During the mid 1600’s, Jamaica began exporting molasses, from which rum is distilled, to Colonial America.
The first distilleries in New England opened and then early colonists began adding distilled rum to hot beverages, which ended up with the creation of hot buttered rum.
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How to observe National Hot Buttered Rum Day
- Listen to Live in the Northeast by Hot Buttered Rum.
- Go all in with a hot buttered rum t-shirt.
- Serve your drink in fancy twist glasses.
- Make one the easy way with a hot buttered rum mix.
- Make your own hot buttered rum cocktail from scratch with the recipe below.
- Learn about the differences between the 10 most popular types of rum to thoroughly enjoy this spirit.
- Use the hashtag #NationalHotButteredRumDay to spread the word about the day on social media.
What is a national day?
National days of the year are a fun way to celebrate odd and unusual foods, animals and items that you come into contact with. Be sure to check out my national day’s guide for more fun days to celebrate.
There are close to 2000 national days in the year and over 150 of them are celebrated in January. Be sure to check out this post to discover more about the national days in January, as well as the January word search printable of national days.
Be sure to also check out these other national days that feature alcohol:
- National Beer Day
- National Cocktail Day
- National Wine Day
- National Mimosa Day
- National Cosmopolitan Day
- National Beverage Day
- National Martini Day
- National Pina Colada Day
- National Irish Coffee Day
- National Mojito Day
- National Prosecco Day
- National Rum Day
- Black Tot Day
Pin this post for National Hot Buttered Rum Day for later
Would you like a reminder of this post for National Hot Buttered Rum Day? Just pin this image to one of your cocktail boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Watch our YouTube video to learn about more January food and drink days.
Here is a recipe for homemade hot buttered rum from scratch. Print it out below and make one to celebrate the day.
Hot Buttered Rum Day Recipe
This delicious drink is a combination of dark rum, spices and butter. It is perfect for the cold days of winter.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of butter - softened
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 dash ground cinnamon
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 1 dash ground allspice
- 1 dash pure vanilla extract
- 2 ounces dark rum
- 5 ounces water (hot)
- Optional: Cinnamon Stick
Instructions
- Place the butter, sugar, and spices into the bottom of a heavy glass or mug.
- Mix well with a muddle.
- Pour in the rum, and top the glass with hot water.
- Stir well.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick if desired and enjoy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 99mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g
Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.
D. Rouse
Friday 22nd of January 2021
In 1976 I had hot buttered rum in a Colonial Williamsburg restaurant to accompany my Game Pie. It had ONLY hot rum and unsalted butter; NO sugar and NO spices. Now every "recipe" I see for this warming beverage is loaded with sugar and has added spices, and even other adornments. Surely historical Colonial Williamsburg had the correct, original, recipe; simply hot rum and butter, just as the name of this beverage states. Not much of a drinker beyond occasional wine, I remember being startled when first I tasted it! Fond memories........