The history of “rum spiked horchata” is primarily the history of the commercial cream liqueur RumChata, launched in 2009, and the concept of a “dirty horchata,” a cocktail using traditional horchata with a spirit.

RumChata was created by Tom Maas, who developed a recipe using a dairy base instead of a traditional horchata base to create a cream liqueur with a rum and horchata-inspired flavor. The “dirty horchata” cocktail, which involves adding rum (or other spirits like tequila or Kahlua) to the traditional Mexican drink, is a more recent, popular cocktail variation.

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Servings: Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1X 2X:

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
2 quarts warm water
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup rum, or to taste
16 cubes ice

STEPS

1) Mix the rice and warm water together in a bowl, and let stand for 1/2 hour. Reserving the water, drain, and place the rice in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cinnamon and process until a paste forms. Return the rice to the water and let stand at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally as the water turns milky white.

2) Strain the rice through a fine sieve into a bowl or pitcher. Stir in the milk, condensed milk, vanilla, and rum, if desired, until evenly blended. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3) To serve, divide the ice cubes between four glasses, and pour the chilled horchata over the ice.