I have a friend who wants to know when he can buy essence of cloves? I have never heard of it before. Any suggestions please?

Does he mean essential oil of cloves do you think? You can buy this in most pharmacies for toothache or health shops as an aromatherapy oil. It shouldn't be used for cooking as it is a very potent oil and should also be used sparingly in aromatherapy. Having said that, it does have a multitude of uses for various ailments. What does he want it for have you any idea?

He wants to put it with his rum. Bit like brandy lime & "bitters"

If he is making hot rum and cloves a recipe would go something like this.

1 shot dark rum
2 shots boiling water
1 whole clove
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. butter

Pour the water and the brown sugar into an Irish Coffee glass. Stir until the brown sugar is dissolved. Add the Rum and the clove and stir. Drop the butter on top of the drink, and dust with a light layer of nutmeg.

If you were to make up a whole bottle of dark rum into a hot buttered rum and used clove powder, you would only use a pinch of cloves per bottle. Using oil would be too dodgy and if he was insisting on using oil then I'd be inclined to dip a toothpick into the oil, give it a shake and whisk the pick into the rum.

He might like a slice of J1's Lucifer's Sweet Temptations Dark Gingerbreak to go with it.

I understand he drinks it with rum & coke not a hot drink.

Hmmm, okay, a difficult customer. What has he been using before now? I know you can buy rum with cloves already added. In the interest of science I have just poured a small tot into a small glass with one clove. I can smell the clove but not taste it, but I expect if I were to add coke I might as the heaviness of the rum is diffused. The oil hasn't had a chance to infuse yet though.

I wonder how he would feel about popping a couple of whole cloves into his bottle of rum and letting the oil infuse over a few days, but no more than the equivalent of a pinch of powder...or go back to the oil of cloves with the toothpick if he didn't want to contaminate an entire bottle.

Tell him from me that coke ruins a good rum and to try a hot buttered rum as a life enhancing experience.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2009 06:49AM by Kerry.

I totally agree with Kerry about hot buttered rum being a life enhancing experience. It's our favourite cold weather tipple that helps make winter bearable. Our recipe is exactly the same, except we have it with a sprinkle of cinnamon, not cloves and nutmeg.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2009 07:13AM by ColleenD.

I used to drink rum, coke and cloves many years ago, bought at the bar, so I'm guessing there is an essence of cloves, perhaps sold in liquor outlets. It would not be the same as oil of cloves which is very potent and is also somewhat toxic.

Couldn't resist it, I googled rum and cloves and have come up with the NZ retailer, Brewers World, in Wanganui, who sells the essence of rum and cloves. The product is near the bottom of the page, and my guess is any wine & beer brewing outlet would probably sell it, too.
[4abrew.co.nz]