Spiced Rum

I always try to make something yummy for good friends around Christmas. A few years ago it was peppermint marshmallows. Last year it was cinnamon buns. This year Seth and I tried our hand at homemade spiced rum. It was a grand experiment. We figured if we're living in a place where we can buy a handle of yummy local St Croix rum for less that $11, why would we not? How did it take us so long to come up with this idea?

We did it together on one of our Thursday date nights. Our hope is to keep tweaking the recipe and make a secret Rogati spiced rum. You know, the kind where friends and family are all "I hope I get a bottle of the special Rogati rum this December. I look forward to it all year long!" But for this first year we stuck with the Serious Eats recommendations: vanilla bean, orange zest, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, allspice, nutmeg and pepper. Almost all stuff we already had at home. Seemed like a safe way to get started.

I was actually kind of bummed to empty the bottle into individual gift bottles when it was done steeping. So pretty.