Kamala's Cocktail: Jamaican and Indian Influenced Hot Buttered Rum

In case you’ve been living under a rock, Kamala Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman to nominated to a major party’s ticket in United States history. That’s major and should be celebrated! Meet “Kamala’s Cocktail,” hot buttered rum deliciousness.

Kamala’s mother was from India and her father is from Jamaica, so this cocktail infuses aspects of both cultures. It includes several delicious spices including cardamom, a typical spice used in Indian dishes and Appleton Rum, authentic Jamaican rum. This cocktail certainly packs a punch!

Ingredients:

• Half stick of unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup of brown sugar (Swerve is also okay)

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. cardamom

• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

• Pinch of ground cloves

• Pinch of salt

• 2 oz. Appleton Rum

Instructions

1. Place all of your ingredients out in order of use. (This is important because this process can move quickly.)

2. Boil 1 cup of water.

3. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or wooden spoon. Ensure it’s creamy and tastes good to you.

4. Add a tablespoon of the mixture to your mug. Then add the rum.

5. The water should be boiling at this point. If it’s not, wait until the water boils and then turn off the stove. Pour enough water in your mug to fill it almost to the top. And be careful! (After all, it is boiling water.)

6. Place the remainder of the mixture in the refrigerator for up to a month and use at your leisure.

While I’ve listed spices here for you to use, I’d also recommend including spices you enjoy. Maybe even throw in a ginger liqueur for added flavor. This cocktail is delicious and is perfect to enjoy during colder months. Enjoy!

Strawberry Limeade Rum Punch Recipe to Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrates when word of slavery ending finally reached Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, 30 months after the Emancipation Proclamation became law of the land on January 1, 1863. (All enslaved people weren’t actually free after Juneteenth either but that’s another story.)⁣

Celebrations have been happening since then and have spread across the country over the years as people have migrated north and west. Today, Juneteenth is a time for rejoicing and reflection, and celebrates Black freedom and achievement.⁣

⁣What you may not know is that red food and drinks are customary for Juneteenth celebrations. The color red is symbolic in many West African cultures for sacrifice, war, power, life and death. Bissap (hibiscus) and kola nut were native to West Africa, both emitting a red color once steeped in hot water to make tea. They made their way to the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States through the slave trade.⁣

⁣Traditions were passed down and as Juneteenth became more widely celebrated, red food and drinks were a must. They symbolize Black people’s suffering, perseverance, ingenuity and resilience. Red velvet cake, watermelon, and other red foods are common at Juneteenth celebrations. Red drinks have taken the form of strawberry lemonade and soda in more recent years.⁣

⁣I created a strawberry limeade rum punch to celebrate this year. We have made so much progress, but still have so far to go. Cheers to Juneteenth!

Cheers!