What does hot buttered rum taste like?
Hot buttered rum tastes like liquid butterscotch: rich, buttery and sweet, with brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg wrapped around a warm shot of dark rum.
Hot buttered rum
butterscotch in a mug
Hot buttered rum starts with a batter of softened butter, brown sugar and warm spices, sometimes with a little vanilla or ice cream mixed in. A spoonful goes into a mug with dark or aged rum and hot water, and it melts into a silky, sweet drink that tastes like a cinnamon roll's gooey middle. The rum adds molasses and a gentle warmth. It's richer than a hot toddy and sweeter than most hot drinks, so one is usually plenty. A good one has a thin slick of butter on top.
Where you’ll see it
A cold-weather and holiday drink at cozy bars, ski lodges and tiki spots, served in a mug, sometimes with a cinnamon stick. Some bars make the butter batter in house and list it as their own recipe.
Order it if you want the richest, most dessert-like warm drink on the menu.
Quick questions
- Is there really butter in hot buttered rum?
- Yes. Butter is mixed with brown sugar and spices into a batter, which melts into the hot water and rum.
- What does hot buttered rum taste similar to?
- Think butterscotch or a cinnamon roll in drink form. It sits between a hot toddy and eggnog: warm like one, rich like the other.