Learn how to punch up your eggnog
As you pour yourself a nice creamy mug of eggnog, do you ever stop to wonder: What exactly is this stuff?
Eggnog is, essentially, beaten eggs mixed with sugar, cream or milk and spiked with rum, brandy or whiskey. Even the store-bought versions roughly follow that classic formula, although dairies leave out the spirits and substitute artificial flavorings to simulate rum. Also, they add various thickeners and sweeteners (guar gum, anyone?).
Today we’re going to explore the roots of one of America’s favorite holiday beverages; give some tips for punching up (or thinning down) the store-bought variety; and tell you how to make several homemade versions.
The very idea of eggnog sounds very Olde English, doesn’t it? Like something out of Dickens?
Wrong. Eggnog is an American drink, dating to Colonial days, perhaps invented by some New Englander looking for a novel way to spike his dairy products.
It was probably inspired by the long English and American tradition of the “flip,” in which an egg is shaken (“flipped”) with rum, whisky, sherry, brandy, ale or port.
Nobody is quite sure where that word “nog” came from. It might be short for noggin, an old English mug. Or it might be a truncation of egg ’n’ grog. Or it might come from an old East Anglian term for strong ale – “nog” or “nogg.”
Believe it or not, some early eggnog recipes called for beer or ale instead of rum or whiskey. Don’t scoff until you’re tried it (see below). It’s no more bizarre than mixing eggnog with coffee – and plenty of people are crazy about the eggnog latte.
Let’s start with some simple ideas about how to add some oomph to store-bought eggnog.
•To turn it into something resembling the traditional drink, simply add a shot of rum to each glass. Whiskey also works well, as does brandy. I’ve even tried sherry with decent results.
For larger quantities, add six to 15 ounces of spirits to every quart of prepared eggnog, depending on how powerful you want it to be.
•To simulate the colonial tavern experience, you can mix store-bought eggnog with some microbrew ale. The result is surprisingly frothy, creamy and tasty.
•To reduce the calories – and create a new, brighter taste – I have taken to pouring a glass one-third full of Diet 7-Up and then filling the rest with store-bought Light Eggnog (Darigold makes a good version). Purists might object, but I have found that Diet 7-Up lightens the drink, gives it a touch of fizz and provides a citrus tang.
Diet Ginger Ale also works well. This week, as an experiment, I even tried Diet Dr Pepper – that was pushing this concept a little too far. Sparkling apple cider, however, is especially tasty.
To re-create the early American eggnog taste, you must make your own eggnog from scratch. You can do it the easy way, in a glass, or the fancy way, in a punch bowl with frothy cream and egg whites. Before proceeding, see the raw egg safety note.
Here are a few recipes:
Classic Eggnog, by the glass
Adapted from “How to Drink,” by Victoria Moore
1 egg, separated
¼ cup superfine sugar
3/4 cup milk, cream or half-and-half
1 shot (1 ½ ounces) rum, whiskey or brandy
Nutmeg and cinnamon, to taste (optional)
Separate the egg. Beat the yolk with half the sugar until pale. Slowly beat in the milk, cream or half-and-half, and the rum, brandy or whiskey.
Whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff. Fold the whites into the yolk mixture and pour into a glass. Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Note : If using Egg Beaters, substitute ¼ cup Egg Beaters for the egg and ignore the whipping instructions.
Yield : 1 serving
A More Potent Eggnog, by the glass
Adapted from “The Time-Life Book of Wines and Spirits”
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 shot (1 1/2 ounces) rum
1 shot blended whiskey
4 ounces milk
3 to 4 ice cubes
Ground nutmeg, to taste
1 strip lemon peel
Place the whole egg and sugar in a mixing glass and stir gently but thoroughly to combine. Add the rum, whiskey and milk and stir again.
Add the ice cubes, place a shaker on top of the mixing glass, and shake vigorously six or seven times. Remove the shaker, place a strainer on top of the mixing glass and strain the eggnog into the highball glass.
Sprinkle the top with nutmeg and twist a lemon peel over the top to release the oil (don’t add the peel to the glass).
Yield: 1 serving
Christmas Yule Eggnog
From the “Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide”
12 eggs
1 pinch baking soda
6 ounces rum
2 pounds granulated sugar
1 quart milk
1 quart cream
2 quarts blended whiskey
Ground nutmeg
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks. In a separate bowl, beat the whites.
Pour yolks into the whites and then add the baking soda, rum and sugar. Beat into a stiff batter.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Set in the refrigerator overnight. Stir again, pour into punch glasses and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
Yield: 20 to 25 servings
Holiday Eggnog
Adapted from “The Time-Life Book of Wines and Spirits”
10 eggs
1/3 cup superfine sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
1 quart heavy cream
One fifth (about 26 ounces) blended whiskey
12 ounces rum
2 cups cold milk
Grated rind of 1 orange
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Ground nutmeg
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/3 cup of sugar until they thicken somewhat and foam.
In another large bowl, beat the egg yolks until they thicken enough to drop back in the form of a ribbon when the beater is lifted out of the bowl. Pour the foamy egg whites into the beaten egg yolks and beat them together until they are thoroughly combined.
Place the cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a punch bowl and beat until the cream doubles in volume and is thick enough to hold its shape softly. Now, beating constantly, slowly pour the egg mixture into the punch bowl with the whipped cream.
When thoroughly combined, slowly add the whiskey and rum and then the cold milk, beating all the while. By this time, the eggnog will have thickened somewhat. It will thicken even more as it chills.
Sprinkle the top of the eggnog with grated lemon and orange and ground nutmeg and chill for at least two hours or overnight.
Yield: 12 servings