Bonny Spiced Rum Spice Mix | 10 Botanicals

Bring warm spice, bright citrus and rounded vanilla to your rum with the Bonny Spiced Rum Spice Mix. Inspired by our Bonny Molasses Spiced Rum Distillers Kit, this botanical selection is designed to flavour approximately 10 litres of finished spirit at 40% ABV.

Choose your approach: infuse ready-made rum directly with the botanicals, with no still required, or follow the updated Bonny 2.0 hybrid method. The hybrid approach pairs a separate vanilla maceration for depth and colour with a botanical basket run for aromatic spice and citrus. Both approaches can be finished with optional molasses backsweetening.

What’s included

• Cinnamon sticks | Cassia vera
• Sweet orange peel | Ground 1–2 mm
• Ginger | Kibbled 2–4 mm
• Vanilla beans | Grade B
• Allspice berries
• Lemon peel | Ground 1–2 mm
• Whole nutmeg
• Green cardamom pods
• Whole star anise
• Organic cloves | Tea bag cut

This product is the spice mix only. Base rum, molasses, fermentation ingredients, water and equipment are not included.

Bonny 2.0 method: vanilla maceration + botanical infusion

The quantities below follow the full Bonny 2.0 recipe, designed to yield approximately 9.5–10.5 litres of finished spiced rum. Begin with your prepared base rum at 50% ABV. For the molasses wash and base-rum preparation, refer to the Bonny 2.0 recipe, July 2026 (Word document).

1. Prepare the vanilla maceration

1. Separate the vanilla beans from the remaining botanicals. Split the beans lengthways and chop into quarters.
2. Place the vanilla in a clean, sealable glass jar with 650 mL of your 50% ABV base rum.
3. Steep for 5–7 days, until the rum turns dark brown, then strain out the vanilla pieces. Set the infused rum aside for blending.

2. Make the botanical concentrate

1. Combine 3.5 litres of your 50% ABV base rum with 3.5 litres of clean water to produce a 7-litre charge at 25% ABV. Reserve the remaining base rum for the final blend.
2. Gently crush the remaining spice mix to open the seeds and pods. Load it into a suitable botanical basket, or suspend it in muslin using an arrangement approved for your still. Keep botanicals away from heating elements and do not obstruct the vapour path.
3. Distil steadily, following your still manufacturer’s operating instructions and charge limits. The Bonny 2.0 recipe specifies discarding the first 150 mL from this botanical run; this is a recipe instruction, not a substitute for safe operation or appropriate cuts.
4. Collect the aromatic concentrate in separate jars so you can assess each portion before blending. Stop collecting for the blend when the character becomes earthy and dank.

3. Build the blend

1. Combine your selected botanical concentrate, strained vanilla maceration and remaining 50% ABV base rum in a suitable glass vessel.
2. Slowly add filtered water to bring the blend to 40% ABV before the optional molasses finishing step.

4. Optional molasses backsweetening and polishing

For the full-batch Bonny 2.0 finish, use 150 g of molasses, reserved before preparing the wash or supplied separately when using this spice mix with an existing rum.

1. Mix 150 g of molasses with 1 litre of boiling water until smooth, then allow the syrup to cool.
2. Stir the cooled syrup into the spiced rum. Molasses adds sweetness, amber colour and a rich, toffee-like character. Adding the syrup also reduces the alcohol strength below the pre-sweetening 40% ABV.
3. Rest undisturbed in a glass vessel for 7–10 days to allow any molasses sediment to settle.
4. Carefully siphon the clear rum into clean spirit bottles, leaving the sediment behind.

ABV note: The recipe’s 40% ABV target is reached before the molasses syrup is added. A standard alcoholmeter does not give an accurate ABV reading once sugars have been added.

Alternative method: direct infusion, no still required

Already have a rum you enjoy? Use the Bonny botanicals to create your own spiced rum without fermenting a wash or distilling. Choose an unflavoured, ready-made rum and infuse to taste. This is an alternative to the Bonny 2.0 hybrid method, not an additional step.

1. Prepare clean, sealable glass jars. Split the vanilla beans lengthways and cut into smaller pieces, shave the nutmeg, and gently crush the seeds and pods.
2. Add the botanicals to your rum and seal the jars. The botanical pack is designed to flavour upto 10 litres of spirit; for smaller batches, use a proportional amount.
3. Keep the jars away from heat and direct sunlight. Gently swirl them regularly and check the aroma and flavour daily. Infusion for 4–5 days as a starting point, monitoring the flavour changes.
4. Strain out the botanicals when the flavour is right to your liking. If needed, pass the rum through a fine filter to remove small spice particles. Longer soaking is not always better, as stronger spices can dominate.
5. For more control, infuse the botanicals separately and blend the strained infusions to taste. This lets you remove fast-extracting spices earlier while giving the vanilla more time.
6. Enjoy unsweetened, or add a some molasses or table sugar to your spirit. Start sparingly and scale to your personal preference. Remember that adding syrup lowers the alcohols overall strength.
7. Allow the finished blend to rest before bottling. If you add molasses syrup, follow the 7–10-day settling and careful siphoning steps above.

Equipment and finishing options

For direct infusion, you need clean, sealable glass vessels and a suitable strainer or filter; no still is required. For the hybrid method, you will also need measuring equipment, a suitable still and a compatible botanical basket or approved muslin arrangement. Explore our botanicals for further flavour experiments, or our oak products if you wish to develop an oak-aged finish separately.

Distil safely: Only distil where legally permitted and appropriately licensed. Follow your equipment manufacturer’s instructions, keep high-strength spirit away from ignition sources, and never operate a blocked or sealed still. Enjoy responsibly.