Hot buttered bourbon takes me from freezing to cosy in about four minutes. This hot buttered bourbon recipe is bourbon, hot water and a spoonful of spiced butter, and it’s rich, warm and wonderfully self-indulgent.
It’s the old hot buttered rum with the rum swapped for whiskey, and I think it’s even better. It’s the drink for a cold night when I’ve come in from the rain.
1
serving5
minutesBourbon, hot water and a spoonful of spiced brown sugar butter, stirred in a warm mug. Rich, warm and comforting.
Ingredients
50 ml (1¾ oz) bourbon
150 ml (5 oz) hot water
1 tbsp spiced butter (see tip)
Cinnamon stick, to garnish
Method
- Warm a mug with hot water, then tip it out.
- Add the spiced butter to the mug.
- Pour in the bourbon and the hot water, then stir until the butter melts.
- Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Thomas’s tip
- For the spiced butter, mix 50 g soft butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar, ¼ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
What does Hot Buttered Bourbon taste like?
Warm brown sugar, butter and cinnamon up front, with bourbon vanilla and oak behind and a gentle burn. It’s silky, rich and sweet, like a toffee in a mug.
Tips for a better Hot Buttered Bourbon
Make a batch of the spiced butter and keep it in the fridge. It’s ready when you are.
Use hot water, not boiling. Boiling water dulls the bourbon.
Hot Buttered Bourbon variations
Rye makes it spicier, and hot cider in place of water is lovely. For a lighter hot drink, try a Hot Toddy, or for a creamy alternative the Whisky Hot Chocolate.
Best whisky for Hot Buttered Bourbon
A sweet, easy bourbon, because butter and sugar are rich. 40% to 45%.
Hot Buttered Bourbon: quick answers
What is Hot Buttered Bourbon?
A hot drink made with bourbon, hot water and spiced butter.
Is it greasy?
A little, but in a pleasant way. It tastes like toffee.
Can I use rum?
Yes. That’s the original, a Hot Buttered Rum.
For the spiced butter, mix 50 g soft butter, 2 tbsp brown sugar, ¼ tsp cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of salt. It keeps in the fridge for a week.
Thomas Grønvold is the founder of Caskable and a whisky enthusiast who believes the best way to learn about whisky is simply to drink it, compare it, and stay curious. From supermarket favourites to bottles from distilleries around the world, he writes about what he actually tastes and experiences, without pretending you need to be an expert to enjoy a good dram.
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