File this under “theraputic drinks” next to Hot Toddy.

I’d not encountered it before, and had no rum, but having bought a bottle of Lamb’s Navy Rum when out shopping yesterday afternoon, and feeling a bit grotty, I had one when I got back.

Then I had a refill. Then, as invariably happens when I have alcohol before 6pm, I went to bed and fell very happily and therapeutically asleep.

Drinking one is like swan-diving into a burning christmas pudding. Fantastic.

Recipe comes from Simon Phipps, aka Webmink; apparently it’s the family cure-all. My annotations in parenthesis.

Hot Buttered Rum

• (in a mug)
• 50ml (3.5 tbsp) dark rum
• 1 level tablespoon each of brown sugar & butter (I use muscovado sugar and unsalted butter)
• top off with hot water (from kettle, just off-boiling)
• and stir with cinnamon stick (whisk until emulsified; weirdly it does do that)