Hot Buttered Rum to Warm Your Bones While Winter Camping

Ditch the cold beer and reach for something toasty.

Brooke Bass

Portland, Oregon, United States · November 18, 2015

Winter campouts can be rough. The damp air, the icy winds, a kind of permanent chill in your bones that seems impervious to even the most grandiose of campfires. Rather than reach for a cold beer as the sun begins to set, why not warm your bones with hot spirit-filled drinks?

This recipe for Hot Buttered Rum is beyond simple and requires relatively little space in your camp cooler. Just cream the butter, syrup, sugar, and spices together before you head out of town. When you’re ready to warm up, spoon the spiced butter into glasses, mugs, or cups, add a little bit (or a lot bit) of molasses-y dark rum, and top off with piping hot water. And, if you’re anything like me and believe that everything on a campout tastes better with toasted marshmallows, go ahead and plop a few of those on top while you’re at it.

Photo: Brooke Conroy

Spiced Hot Buttered Rum with Toasted Marshmallows

Ingredients (Serves: 4)

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 pinches of ground allspice
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
6 ounces of dark rum (1.5 per)
16 ounces of water (4 per)
Toasted marshmallows, for topping (optional)

Photo: Brooke Conroy

Photo: Brooke Conroy

Method:

A day or two before the campout: Cream the butter, maple syrup, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt together in a bowl. Seal in a Tupperware container or a bowl covered with tight-fitting plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or in your camp cooler.

While at the campsite: Bring water to a boil. Meanwhile, spoon 1 tablespoon of cinnamon butter into each hot beverage glass or mug. Add 1.5 ounces of dark rum to each glass. When water comes to a boil, pour 4 ounces into each glass, stirring briefly to combine. Top with toasted marshmallows, if desired.