The story behind eggnog, the boozy Christmas classic
’Tis the season for alcohol-spiked, drinkable custard – the inimitable festive cocktail with a wholesome history.
During the festive season, the usual rules don’t apply — you can get away with having chocolate for breakfast (as long as it’s from the advent calendar), wear the world’s ugliest jumper to work (providing it has a reindeer on the front) and glug pints of booze-spiked custard in the name of ‘tradition’. In the US, eggnog — a creamy punch that’s usually drunk cold — is as much a signifier of the season as mulled wine is in Europe, as evidenced in classic Christmas movies like Home Alone, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and even as even as a milk substitute on Homer’s breakfast cereal in The Simpsons.
What are the origins of eggnog?
The term was first recorded in the US in the late 18th century, and first linked to Christmas in 1793, when a Virginian newspaper reported on an evening of eggnog-fuelled ‘mirth and festivity’. However, the drink has its roots in the medieval British posset. Milky and sweet, these drinks were originally regarded as medicinal tonics and sleep aids — a convenient vehicle for Lady Macbeth to drug Duncan’s guards under the guise of a nice, warm nightcap.
Over the centuries, this simple mixture of milk and ale or wine was enriched with eggs and brandy or fortified wines, making it so costly that only the wealthiest could afford to indulge, and it eventually fell out of fashion. Today’s modern creamy posset dessert bears little resemblance to its potent predecessor. In the US, however, where eggs and dairy were often more abundant and accessible, it remained popular, albeit made with domestic whiskies and Caribbean rums, and under a new name: the etymologically curious eggnog, which is often claimed to come from an East Anglian term for a bottle of strong beer.
Eggs and cream being more expensive in winter, when hens slow down or stop laying and cows give less milk, the drink was a Christmas treat. The country’s first president, George Washington, left behind a recipe that includes a pint of brandy, half a pint each of rye whiskey and Jamaica rum, and a quarter of a pint of sherry. With a punch like that, it’s little wonder an eggnog-fuelled riot broke out at West Point Military Academy on Christmas Eve 1826 — though these days it tends to be associated with more wholesome festive moments.
How is eggnog made?
Eggnog’s base is a simple custard: egg yolks and sugar whisked together and then diluted with milk, cream or a mixture of both, before being flavoured with spirits (rum, brandy or whisky being the most common choices, though alcohol-free versions are not unusual). For an especially light result, Martha Stewart, the queen of the holiday party, folds in the whipped egg whites before serving the frothy concoction topped with grated nutmeg, while coquito, a Puerto Rican version, uses coconut cream and milk, condensed milk, rum and spices.
Eggnog is usually served chilled, but can, like custard, be gently heated before adding the alcohol, for especially cold days or for those averse to the idea of consuming raw eggs.
Where to try eggnog?
Traditional: Wolf Tree, Vermont
Max Overstrom-Coleman’s version came out top in a blind taste test conducted by US drinks website Punch. Judges described it as ‘the archetypal example of a traditional eggnog, with a creamy texture that still felt light and almost fluffy, underscored by a detectable boozy backbone’. The secret of his success? Aged rum, a peppery, rye-heavy bourbon and light, floral cognac, combined with good Vermont dairy and then matured before serving.
Take out: Swensen’s, San Francisco
The beloved Bay Area frozen dessert brand — peddling joy from the same location since 1948 — breaks out its eggnog ice cream every winter but also sells bottles of homemade stuff to take to a party or gift to yourself. Spiking with alcohol is entirely optional.
Frozen: Manolito, New Orleans
This tiny French Quarter bar, inspired by Havana’s legendary El Floridita, adds a local festive favourite to the menu for the holidays, in the form of the Eggnog Frozen Daiquiri. Also known as Cajun Eggnog, the drink can be found in slushy machines citywide throughout the season, but Manolito’s made-to-order offering is, according to online food oracle, Eater, ‘one of the best in town’.
