Little bit of good rum is amazing in all kinds of warm drinks. Black tea, fruity herb tea, spice tea, hot cider, hot cocoa, hot buttered rum you just add water, sugar and butter. It's all good with rum! You can get 10 Cane most places nowadays, or Zacapa is a favorite of mine that isn't as much of a bargain as it used to be, other people must have discovered it, or higher up the price range is 5 star Barbancourt if you can get it (it really is worth the extra money for the 5 star).

I don't know a thing about brandy either.