Hot Buttered Rum

It’s rainy, it’s cold. Butter will keep you warm.

Is there anything better than booze, apple cider, and butter, all in one mug?

No. No, there isn’t, especially when it’s cold and damp outside. For cold-weather camping, you need a lot of extra calories to sustain you and keep you warm during the night. This libation does just the trick! The recipe is a bit involved, and requires lots of at-home prep work, but once you’ve made your butter you can keep it in the freezer, ready to go for your next adventure.

Home Prep: The Butter

• Throw a stick (1/4lb) of room temperature, unsalted butter in a bowl
• Measure out 1/2 cup of packed, dark brown sugar into the same bowl
• Add hearty pinches of dried ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove (I use slightly more cinnamon than the other spices.. about half a teaspoon of each will do just fine)
• Add a teensy splash of maple extract, if you have it. If not, you probably won’t miss it
• Cream together butter, sugar, and spices with a handheld mixer, or a spoon if you’re a tough guy
• Using a spatula (or fingers, who am I kidding?), spread butter into a log-like shape on waxed paper
• Roll up the log in the waxed paper, cover in plastic wrap, and freeze until ready to use

At Camp:

Find your mug. Slice off a small bit of butter (about 1/2 tbsp – tbsp), peel off the waxed paper and plastic wrap, and place the butter in your mug. Add one package of apple cider mix, a healthy glug (or two – I’m not judging) of spiced or dark rum, and enough boiling water to fill your cup. Stir and enjoy!

I always feel like I’d love another cup afterwards, but by that time I’ve gained ten pounds and decided against it. The butter has many additional uses for backcountry cooking and baking, too! You can easily double or triple the butter recipe and have enough to last all winter long.

Cheers!