Egg Nog: What's your preference?

Okay, I'll blame Howie, because he brought egg nog up in another thread, so let's play around with how you like your eggnog.

Howie made it very clear that when it comes to holiday eggnog, he'll be imbibing, and he'll be expecting rum to be in that glass as well. Probably with a dash of nutmeg on top, I expect.

Rum is one of the standards for eggnog, sure enough. But it seems that in different parts of the country there are different traditions. Down South you are more likely to encounter bourbon whiskey in the nog. Up in the Upper Northwest, it will probably be brandy--in Wisconsin, they use brandy for everything! Used to be, although not quite so much anymore, if you ordered a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, you'd get brandy instead of whiskey. Ask Mike Filigenzi about that.

So how do you like your egg nog? Virginal? Rum? Brandy? Whiskey? And do you like it gussied up with anything else? Or when they offer egg nog, do you shudder politely and pass on it?

I have made something of a study of eggnog and we at Beaucoin do it this way:

6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1.88 c powdered sugar (= 1/2#)
1 c rum
1/2 c brandy
3 c heavy cream
1 c milk

In a large bowl, beat yolks until thick and pale yellow. With a whisk, gradually add, in this order: most of the sugar, the milk, half the cream, the rum, the brandy, and the vanilla.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, adding the rest of the sugar halfway through. Fold thoroughly into base mixture.

In the same bowl, now beat the remaining cream until stiff, and fold thoroughly into the base mixture.

Cover, chill and age. Something like 12-16 portions.

Note: Make a day or two ahead so the foam can settle. A little aging allows the flavors to blend, which helps this drink a lot. (Some recipes call for a week of aging!)

Note 2: When we serve it we will often add a skoosh of Kahlua or Frangelico to the cup, too.

It's all my fault. I patronize a small, local dairy that only sells it's products in 1 qt. glass bottles. They leave you on the honor system to return the bottles. I love their whole milk in my coffee and they make the best chocolate milk. That being said, they have been making eggnog only during the holidays for many years and it has developed a cult following. Every time they make a batch, it sells out quickly. Here is an article about it in the Buffalo News from last year: Hoover's Dairy Eggnog

So how do you like your egg nog? Virginal? Rum? Brandy? Whiskey? And do you like it gussied up with anything else? Or when they offer egg nog, do you shudder politely and pass on it?

Shudder and wretch at the mere sight of the stuff!

[David M. Bueker]

I also have a local dairy farm that makes its own egg nog. It's delicious, and not sickly sweet like supermarket brands. It's so good that I like it straight - no booze at all. I buy exactly 1 quart per year. It's too good - if I buy more I will chug it down.

Well, I'm a total weirdo, because I actually like the stuff in the carton from the grocery store because I know it's been pasteurized. I'm not at all a fan of the raw egg taste and "thickness" in the real, homemade stuff. I've even become a fan of the low fat almond milk egg nog. That said, I like it with a generous dose of Captain Morgan original spiced rum and lots of freshly grated nutmeg over the top.

I like eggnog, although I rarely make it. When I do, I use a recipe I got from my dad, which I believe originally came from the Gourmet cookbook. It involves a fifth of rum, a fifth of brandy, a dozen eggs, a couple of quarts of milk/cream, and some sugar. It's a sneaky bastard - my dad used to make it every year for their holiday open house, and despite warnings to go easy on it, we often ended up with a person or two snoozing in a chair after the open house was done.

I've never made eggnog, but used to buy it around Christmas from the store because our kids loved it. My mom used to make Tom and Jerry Batter, is that the same as egg nog? I dug around and found her recipe. The egg nog was super thick, and very tasty, and from the amount of people who came to her Tom and Jerry open house each year, it must have been a favorite for them too. Here is her recipe.

1 dozen eggs, two boxes of powdered sugar. The eggs were gathered the same day from my grandfather's chickens.
Separate eggs, beat yolks until light and stiff. Add enough powdered sugar until too stiff to beat. Add whiskey. Carefully fold in stiffly beaten egg whites, last. Nutmeg was sprinkled over the top.

I'm not sure why it says to add whiskey, because I know she would ask if folks wanted whiskey.

What the hell, man? I just bought my first bottles of Anchor Steam Maple Red Ale and New Belgium "Pumpkick". They're barely
cold and you're already onto egg nog? Wake me when we hit December.

My mom used to make Tom and Jerry Batter, is that the same as egg nog?

Almost identical. The only different is that a T&J is usually served hot. T&J are hard to find outside of the northern midwest -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc.

I'm not sure why it says to add whiskey, because I know she would ask if folks wanted whiskey.

The booze helps to cook (cure) the yolks, changing the very eggy flavor into something more complex. As you can see in my recipe, there's booze in the bowl and then you can also have booze in your glass. It's a holiday, you know.

The booze helps to cook (cure) the yolks, changing the very eggy flavor into something more complex. As you can see in my recipe, there's booze in the bowl and then you can also have booze in your glass. It's a holiday, you know.

Gasp! You mean mom was serving whiskey to us kids! No wonder I have a taste for wine and cocktails. I loved that stuff she made.

[Robin Garr]

I'm not really a fan, but having grown up in Louisville's urban center, which isn't really "Southern" but is most definitely bourbon country, I never knew it was made with anything but bourbon until I got old enough to travel and drink.

Hate the drink (or stuff or whatever).