Cruzan

Can't fathom sipping an iced cocktail as the temperature continues dipping? Then settle in with a batch of steamy buttered rum instead — it'll warm you to the core, even in bone-chillingly cold climes. This recipe for hot buttered rum is the best I've ever had, in part because it calls for a spiced butter as its base.

This recipe also incorporates ground ginger, grated orange zest, and a fresh squeeze of orange juice for zing at the very end; all of these truly round out the typical wintry spice notes. I recommend using a good-quality spiced rum, like Cruzan's 9 Spiced Rum, to boost flavor even further. Cuddle up to a cup when you read on.

This October, pumpkin puree is the hottest seasonal ingredient to stir into cocktails. After noticing it in a recent recipe, I've seen it in countless other concoctions. One that caught my eye is this Fall-themed orange mojito. The combination of spiced rum, muddled mint, brown sugar, lime juice, and pumpkin puree is wonderfully balanced and quite refreshing. The pumpkin doesn't overpower the drink, instead it enhances the flavor of the rum. It's made like any other mojito, so you will need a muddler. Since rum is the only spirit, select a high-quality one like Cruzan's aged spiced rum. To give this cocktail a try — I promise you won't be disappointed — keep reading.

The transition from Summer to Fall is always hard; I don't want to let go of the warm days and luscious fruits. But, alas, it's October and there's no use holding onto Summer anymore. It's time to embrace the new season, and there's no better way to do it than with a refreshing and delicious cocktail, like the one featured here. It's a simple mixture of rum, pineapple juice, and fresh-squeezed lime juice, but the resulting libation is perfectly balanced. Be sure to use a good-quality spiced rum; I like Cruzan's aged offering. It's the base of the drink and therefore the most prominent flavor. The original recipe called for 1/4 ounce of cinnamon syrup, but I didn't have four-plus hours to wait for the syrup to steep. Instead I threw a whole cinnamon stick in the cocktail shaker. The result is subtle, but with the true essence of Autumn. Learn how to make the drink now!

Since Party recently professed her fondness for Appleton Estate rum, I'm here to share my affinity for another fantastic everyday rum, Cruzan Light. Recently, a rep from Cruzan challenged me to taste the spirit against other light rums in its class. Incidentally, I had a couple other brands in my liquor cabinet, so I had Cruzan face them off in a taste test.

I wasn't expecting to be blown away by the results, but, as it turns out, Cruzan came out on top. With its musky vanilla overtone and slight — but not overly aggressive — hints of oak, the rum had the most prominent palate entry. But perhaps most impressively, the Cruzan had a cooling, soothing aftereffect compared to the others, which left more of a burn.

These qualities, along with a reasonable $17 price tag, have convinced me to make Cruzan my regular light rum. What light rum do you tend to buy at the liquor store?