So this might seem… premature, but the view outside my window would seem to indicates it’s already winter (in the North East at least).  And as much as some nice hot chocolate is nice, hot buttered rum is better.  And best of all you can create tons ahead of time and just stash them in the fridge or freezer and pull out whatever you need, whenever you need it.

The recipe itself is rather straight forward.  Here are the ingredients you’ll need to prep your concoction ahead of time.

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (preferably freshly ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• Pinch salt
• Plastic Wrap

Take all those ingredients and blend together (mixer tends to work best). Put in the fridge till it stiffens up some. Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture in the middle of plastic wrap and wrap like a pice of candy.  Place back in the fridge (or freezer if you plan on making tons for later).

When you are ready to make your Hot Buttered Rum, remove one piece of the mixture, unwrap and place in a cup.  Although the liquid measurements will vary depending on your strength you are looking for, the general rule is half and half.   On average you’re looking at adding about 3 oz of water and 3 oz of rum.  Stir until combined and enjoy hot.

Best part is you can make a bunch of batches ahead of time, freeze or fridge them for whenever you want to have a delicious hot alcoholic beverage.  It is a good idea to let the mixture warm up a little before adding the liquid, especially if you were freezing them.  Cold Hot butter rum is quite bad, hence the name “hot” in the title.  And remember – Hot Buttered Rum warms the body better than any cup of hot chocolate can.