Eggnog - Worldwide
EGGNOG LOVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
Susan Schwartz gives us the lowdown on her favourite Christmas tipple, challenging all of those eggnog haters to try her recipe of choice before they dismiss the joys of her Christmas tradition.
"To tradition-steeped Christmas celebrants, the season would be bleak unless thickly upholstered with Eggnog." —Esquire's Handbook for Hosts, 1947.
David Wondrich (our generation’s most respected drinks historian) has chosen to add this quotation to the top of his favourite eggnog recipe as if to say, “Abandon hope all ye who imbibe.”
Is it the 12 raw eggs in this Virginia Eggnog recipe (see below) that might scare off a few who might not want their first cocktail of the evening to “upholster” their tummy? To those scaredy cats, I say “Bah Humbug to you!” I totally agree that the holidays are just not the same without taking at least one sip of eggnog.
While watching me attempt to separate the yolks from the whites of those 12 eggs successfully, the eggnog hater in my life hastened to comment that the Virginians added both rum and cognac to their recipe to make it even a tad palatable.
What is it with my Brit and his hatred of America’s favourite holiday beverage? He is the same person who will gleefully dump Ambrosia custard on top of every pudding and dessert placed in front of him. Yet, he is definitely not alone in his disgust of the eggy cocktail.
Maybe it’s cultural or even out of fashion? I asked around and found way more haters than lovers on the streets of London. Like Hershey’s chocolate, gefilte fish, hákarl (fermented shark), maybe it’s something you have to grow up with to appreciate.
In the USA, there are so many different makes of eggnog that every year periodicals perform taste tests to judge which brand is best. One included 13, yes 13, different eggnogs. Just this year alone! (Spoiler alert: Hood Golden Eggnog won!)
Whereas here, in London, not one supermarket appeared to have invested any of their Christmas budget on eggnog. It was spent on a myriad of different custards, though: Madagascar Vanilla, Brandy, Deluxe, West Country Cream, just to name a few!
The closest I came was one being sold on eBay for over £32, another one for Honestyolk with Duppy Share Rum added in already, and Oatnog from Black Lines with Two Drifters Signature Rum.
I could find no non-alcoholic version sold commercially. (I like to add in my own homemade ginger vodka!) Thus, I decided to make it using David Wondrich’s Virginian recipe.
I find that ironic since the Brits were making it from as far back as the 15th Century. Although referring to it by its other name, posset, John Russell, author of Boke of Nurture (c. 1460) was cooking up a pot of it himself from “hot Milk poured on Ale or Sack, having Sugar, grated Bisket, Eggs, with other ingredients boiled in it, which goes all to a Curd.”
Brits fleeing to the newly formed colonies in America might have left behind religious persecution, but there was no way they were leaving their recipes for posset behind.
Even George Washington was rumoured to have served this recipe to visitors one and all: “One-quart cream, one-quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one-pint brandy, ½ pint rye whiskey, ½ pint Jamaica rum, ¼ pint sherry – mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of 12 eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into the mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.”
Sadly, the folks at Mount Vernon can’t confirm that this was actually George or Martha’s recipe, but if it was, they liked it boozy back then. Check out the 1¼ pints of brandy, rye, rum and sherry added in!
We also can’t confirm why it went from being called posset to eggnog. One camp claims that it was the word egg added to nog (a strong ale), which makes logical sense. The other is a bit more tenuous stating its combination of egg and grog (aka rum). Egg grog is a bit tricky to say three times fast, so it was egg-n-grog and then eggnog. You decide.
SADLY, THE FOLKS AT MOUNT VERNON CAN’T CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY GEORGE AND MARTHA’S RECIPE, BUT IF IT WAS, THEY LIKED IT BOOZY BACK THEN. CHECK OUT THE 1¼ PINTS OF BRANDY, RYE, RUM AND SHERRY ADDED IN!
What I can state with veracity is that Americans have been serving it at holiday time since George and Martha’s soirees. Usually, it’s found in punch bowls topped with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon and your choice of booze for a touch of festive cheer.
For those who are not fans of the original recipe, I would beg you to give it one more chance. Now there are so many variations from which to choose.
One of the most popular is the Coquito, Puerto Rico’s most popular holiday drink. This creamy, coconutty concoction will warm you up even if the weather outside is delightful. Every family on the island has its own recipe, using only the island’s rum! With a mix of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream of coconut, I am not sure it is less heavy than its American cousin, but it certainly is a treat!
For those who like a little fizz in their cocktail, the Snowball might be for you. But we’re not talking sparkling wine, but lemon soda. Yes, the great minds of mixology in 1940s Britain took Advoccat, the Dutch spirit made from eggs, sugar, and brandy, and topped it with a lemon soda of your choice, think Sprite or 7UP. Known as the Snowball, it is a fan favourite throughout the British Isles!
Funnily enough, a Brit also invented the Tom & Jerry, which looks a lot like eggnog to me. Pierce Egan, a British writer and journalist, is said to have created his own take on eggnog in 1820, using only milk, no cream, in his recipe and a healthy dose of both brandy and rum.
So I say to all those who are hating on my favourite holiday treat, don’t knock it until you’ve tried my take on the Virginia classic. If it weren’t great, why would two drinks companies (the aforementioned Honestyolk and Black Lines) be making it on British soil if it weren’t a la mode?
Ingredients
12 egg(s)
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 pint cognac
1/2 pint rum—dark rum
1 pint milk
1/2 pint heavy cream
nutmeg
mug
How to Make Eggnog:
Separate the eggs, putting aside the whites for the moment. Beat the yolks strenuously, slowly adding in the granulated sugar. Continue at tempo until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Slowly pour in the cognac, stirring all the while. Follow with the rum. Pouring the liquor into the yolks has the effect of cooking them more lovingly than any stove
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