Eats

Drink of the week: Pamplona's Hot buttered rum

by Kari Walker

Sugar, spice and everything nice

Hot buttered rum is a classic drink perfect for any holiday gathering when there's a chill in the air. The warmer temps may have moved in for the weekend, but once old man winter hits Lafayette with another blast, have a cup of this treat in your hand ready for action.

James Wise, a bartender at Pamplona, shared his recipe for making this beverage at home. Like the name suggests, this drink starts with a base of butter - you'll want to make sure your butter is slightly cooler than room temperature to ensure your sugar and spice balls form correctly. A stick of butter, a cup of raw sugar and a blend of seasonal spices are what give this drink its unique flavor.

Serve a batch around the backyard fire pit or at the hunting camp. Pressed for time to get the sugar and spice balls ready? Then head over to Pamplona and snuggle up to the bar for this special hot buttered rum.

Photo by Kari Walker

**Hot buttered rum
**(Courtesy of James Wise of Pamplona)

Sugar and spice balls:
1 cup raw sugar
1 stick cooler than room temperature butter
1/4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg and clove
1/4 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Dash of Cayenne pepper

Mix ingredients into a bowl until sugar and spices have blended. Use a melon baller or small cookie dough scoop to form individual balls. Store balls in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Yields about 15 balls.

To prepare drink:
1 sugar and spice ball
1 oz. Mt. Gary Eclipse rum
1/2 oz. Kraken rum

Fill a toddy glass or mug with handle with very hot water until glass is very warm. Empty water from glass and add sugar and spice ball and rum. Fill the remainder of the glass slowly with hot water until filled to top. Add dash of Cayenne pepper and stir beverage to dissolve sugar and butter. Enjoy, but take caution with temperature of glass.