Orange-Cinnamon Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

When most people think of adult beverages, they think of a drink that is served over ice. And most of the time? They'd be right. This drink is unique in that it's served hot, making it a great beverage for the fall and winter months. Recipe developer Jennine Bryant created this fantastic recipe that will warm your heart and soul and she explains exactly why she likes it so much. "This is one of the ultimate autumnal drinks in my books; it's so delicious and warming, with the classic autumnal and winter flavors of spices, spiced rum, and orange. It's also really quick to throw together, so when you get home on a cold autumnal evening, it only takes a few minutes to make, and then it really warms you through!" she raves.

Bryant also shares her favorite occasion to serve this hot beverage. "In England, we have a celebration on 5th November called bonfire night, where we stand outside and burn things and have fireworks," Bryant explains. "It's the perfect drink for that evening or any social evening outside in the autumn or wintertime. It's also great to make and put in a flask for New Years' fireworks standing outside in the cold!" How good does that sound? 

This recipe mainly requires spices, so check your spice cabinet before heading to the store. You will need to get spiced rum, water, unsalted butter, an orange, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise, and cinnamon sticks. "The secret ingredient in this is the orange zest, which isn't normally found in buttered rum," Bryant shares. "It adds a delicious orange zesty note, which pairs so well with the warming spice flavoring and takes the drink from good to great!"

Once you have those items, you can make this orange-cinnamon hot buttered rum recipe.

You will need to take out a small saucepan for the first step. Place it on your stove and throw in the spiced rum, water, butter, orange peel, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise.

If you want to swap some spices, that's fine. "Cloves are a great addition or sub for this recipe, and could be used in place of the star anise and/or the nutmeg," Bryant shares. "Cardamom is also a delicious sub and pairs really well with the orange."

Once the ingredients are loaded in, turn the heat on low to medium and continue cooking until the mixture gets hot and steamy. You don't want to boil this drink, so if you see bubbles reach the surface of the liquid, turn the heat down to a lower setting 

Grab a fine mesh sieve and place it over a pouring jug. Dump the contents of the saucepan into the sieve, making sure to take out all ingredients that are not liquid. Then, pour the liquid into two mugs and serve hot. You can also garnish with a cinnamon stick if you wish.

Now, all there's left to do is sip and enjoy. This drink is lovely on its own, and Bryant explains why you don't need anything else. "This isn't the type of drink I would normally serve alongside food; it's quite heavy in its own right. It would be the kind of thing you'd serve later in the evening after dinner, in the same way you might have a hot chocolate in the evening," she shares.

And if you want to make it in advance, that's an option! "You can definitely make this ahead of time and reheat!" Bryant shares. "It keeps really well in the refrigerator, just make sure it is covered and stir when reheating." Cheers!