25 Eggnog Recipes That Make The Holidays Taste So Good (2024)

FAQs

What changed to make eggnog a popular holiday drink by the 1700s? ›

In the 1700s, rum from the Caribbean was the American eggnog alcohol of choice. But it was scarce during the revolution, so it was traded out for moonshine. This might explain why it became associated with the Christmas season. It warmed up drinkers in the cold weather, and true eggnog called for expensive liquor.

While brandy is the most traditional alcohol to pair with eggnog, according to traditional recipes, you can also use a mixture of dark rum and Cognac. If you like your eggnog with more of a kick you can also add bourbon, but we recommend sticking to rum and Cognac to preserve the 'nog's flavors.

It was thought that the use of “luxury” ingredients such as cream and alcohol would invite prosperity into the household for the coming year. In most households today, a cup of eggnog ushers in the good cheer of the holiday more so than any belief in impending wealth.

The old-fashioned eggnog is made with raw eggs, milk, cream, bourbon, and sugar. Usually, compared to classic eggnog, this version is stronger and creamier in taste and texture. Top it off with freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon sticks.

Origins. While no one knows who invented eggnog, most historians and foodies generally agree eggnog originated in medieval Britain. The upper classes were the only ones to have access to the milk, sherry, and eggs required to make the first version of eggnog, so it began as an exclusive beverage.

Of course, this will be a matter of personal opinion, but the conclusion from this test is that brandy is the most suitable choice for eggnog. What Is Korbel California Brandy? Each of the three spirits has its own flavor profile and makes an excellent addition to the creamy, sweet, comforting taste of eggnog.

Heavy cream will make your eggnog thicker and creamier. Boozy eggnog will also continue to thicken in the fridge as it ages.

To make it thicker, use less milk. 1 cup of whole milk will make a smooth eggnog, but if you know that you like a thicker eggnog, stir in only ½ cup of milk. Once it chills and thickens a little in the fridge, add more milk to thin it out to your liking.

Egg-cellent Eggnog Tips

Rum – I like dark rum in eggnog (Myers's is what I usually buy), but spiced rum would also be fabulous. Whiskey – I typically use Crown Royal, but use what you like or keep on hand.

What is the best rum to put in eggnog? ›

Chairman's Reserve Spiced Rum

"When choosing a rum, I personally find a spiced rum to be the best for the flavors incorporated in eggnogs," he said. "Chairman's Reserve Spiced Rum is best for its quality and flavor profile.”

Most homemade eggnog recipes follow a basic formula: eggs are mixed with sugar, milk and/or cream, and liquor. You also have the choice of brandy, whiskey, or rum for your eggnog, no liquor at all, and even egg-free and vegan options.

Canadian chef Heidi Fink states that one of the reasons people are making less homemade eggnog is that the beverage is expensive to make, due to its use of substantial quantities of cream, eggs, and spirits. Concerns about the safety of raw eggs may be another reason for the decline in homemade eggnog making.

Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, no one would say that eggnog is a healthy drink. Even a small serving can pack significant amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. And then there's the fact that homemade eggnog made with raw eggs can be a food-poisoning risk.

Most plants keep producing eggnog through New Year's, and start dumping their unsold product in January. Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn't need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don't because it's not cost-effective.

"While culinary historians debate its exact lineage, most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval" British drink called posset, which was made with hot milk that was curdled with wine or ale and flavored with spices. In the Middle Ages, posset was used as a cold and flu remedy.

Milk, eggs, and sherry were foods of the wealthy, so eggnog was often used in toasts to prosperity and good health. Eggnog became tied to the holidays when the drink hopped the pond in the 1700s. American colonies were full of farms—and chickens and cows—and cheaper rum, a soon-signature ingredient.

Culinary historians have traced the origins of egg-nog to the medieval British punch called “posset,” warm milk curdled with alcohol such as wine or beer, flavored with spices. In medieval Europe, monks added their own twist by serving posset with figs and eggs.

(What's the difference between eggnog and Holiday Nog? Eggnog must have a minimum 6 percent butterfat and a minimum 1 percent egg yolk by weight; Holiday Nog, which Spangler called a flavored milk product, has 2 percent butterfat and less than 1 percent egg yolk by weight.)