Over the weekend, I got down like it was 1776. Fiddle-playing, foot-stomping, tavern-thumping partying, Colonial Williamsburg style. I was there for the Grand Illumination celebrations, when the entire village was decked out in wreaths, garlands, and bonfires.

I was in Williamsburg visiting my grandparents and 96 year old great grandma from Brooklyn (and she’s got the accent to prove it). She told me stories about how my great grandpa was on the Wall Street Trading Floor when it crashed (this was 1929, not 2008), and what it was like to raise four kids in Queens.

While at the tavern one night, I ordered the “Season’s Witch,” a hot buttered rum. I had never tried hot buttered rum it before, but my server assured me that it tasted “like apple pie”. I was tempted. I took one sip, and I was converted. It’s spiked hot mulled cider, with warming, buttery notes. I asked the server where I could find the recipe, and he told it to me on the spot. So here you have it – Colonial Williamsburg’s official recipe for hot buttered rum – perfect for Christmas parties and chilly winter nights with your bestest friends.

hot buttered rum

1 gallon filtered apple cider, or apple juice
1/2 orange
2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving
spiced rum (regular would work fine)
unsalted butter
ground cinnamon
freshly grated nutmeg
cheesecloth

Tie up the orange with the cinnamon sticks in a cheesecloth. Throw this bundle into a pot with the apple cider. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes, until the cider is mulled and fragrant.

In a small bowl, combine unsalted butter (half a cup is a good start) with ground cinnamon. Taste and add more cinnamon if you like.

To serve, pour a shot of rum in a mug. Add a cinnamon stick. Top off with the mulled cider, stir in a dollop of the cinnamon butter, and add freshly grated nutmeg.