Ground Allspice
Ground allspice is the dried, unripe berry of the pimento tree, Pimenta dioica, milled to a powder. It is one spice, not a blend: English cooks named it in the early 1600s for tasting of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove at once. In drinks it is a winter spice used by the quarter teaspoon, as in our Hot Buttered Rum.
Quick Facts
Airtight, dark and cool: never spoon it over a steaming pan, which clumps and stales the jar.
None of the 14 listed allergens.
About Ground Allspice
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Clove-led warmth with cinnamon and nutmeg behind it: pungent when fresh, fading fast once ground.
Allspice is a single berry from the pimento tree
Pimenta dioica grows wild from the Greater Antilles through southern Mexico and Central America, and Jamaica is still the leading source, which is why the berry is also called Jamaica pepper or pimento. The berries are picked green, dried until brown, and ground. Their oils include eugenol, the compound that gives clove its taste.
Mixed spice and allspice dram are different products
The names cause confusion in both directions. Mixed spice is a blend that may include allspice; allspice dram is a liqueur made from the berry. Each goes into a drink differently.
Allspice, mixed spice and allspice dram
Ground allspice
- What it is
- One berry, dried and ground
- Sugar and alcohol
- None
- Typical measure
- A quarter teaspoon
- Where it goes
- Butter batters, spice mixes
Mixed spice
- What it is
- A blend of several ground spices
- Sugar and alcohol
- None
- Typical measure
- Varies by blend
- Where it goes
- Baking
Allspice dram
- What it is
- Pimento steeped in rum and sweetened
- Sugar and alcohol
- Sweet; about 22.5%
- Typical measure
- A barspoon to 10ml
- Where it goes
- Tiki drinks and punches
| Product | What it is | Sugar and alcohol | Typical measure | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground allspice | One berry, dried and ground | None | A quarter teaspoon | Butter batters, spice mixes |
| Mixed spice | A blend of several ground spices | None | Varies by blend | Baking |
| Allspice dram | Pimento steeped in rum and sweetened | Sweet; about 22.5% | A barspoon to 10ml | Tiki drinks and punches |
Ground allspice fades within months
The flavour sits in volatile oil, and grinding exposes all of it. A jar of ground allspice is at its freshest for about six months, while whole berries hold out for years and give a sharper version of the same warmth when cracked in a spare peppermill.
It holds the Hot Buttered Rum batter together
Our Hot Buttered Rum beats a quarter teaspoon into butter and brown sugar with half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of clove. Allspice overlaps with both, so it rounds the batter rather than adding a separate note, and dark rum and hot water carry it. Nutmeg is grated over the top at the end.
Using Ground Allspice
Usage
A quarter teaspoon per drink goes into the butter-and-sugar base of a Hot Buttered Rum, alongside ground cinnamon and a pinch of clove, where nothing is strained and the spice must spread evenly. For a hot pot that will be strained, a few whole berries do the same job more cleanly.
Pro Tip
If a spiced batter tastes flat, check the allspice before adding more cinnamon. A stale jar is the usual cause, and a fresh grind of whole berries brings the warmth back at the same quarter teaspoon.
Top Tips
- Buy small jars and replace them often; ground allspice fades within months.
- Keep whole berries in a spare peppermill and grind to order for the freshest warmth.
- It is one spice, not a blend. Mixed spice is the blend, and it measures differently.
- Spoon it from the jar away from a steaming pan; steam clumps the powder and stales the rest.
Possible Substitutions
- Cloves: Ground clove alone is sharper and more medicinal; start with a pinch
Production Method
The berries of Pimenta dioica, picked green and unripe and dried, with care taken to keep volatile oils such as eugenol in the fruit, then ground.
History & Context
The English name dates from at least 1621, coined because the berry seemed to combine cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. For a long time the tree grew only in Jamaica, where its export was guarded; seeds would not sprout elsewhere until growers found they needed to pass through a bird first.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is allspice made from?
Is allspice the same as mixed spice?
What is allspice dram?
Why is allspice also called pimento?
How much allspice goes in a hot buttered rum?
How long does ground allspice keep?
Made with Ground Allspice
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 11 October 2026