1. Be Economical – Eggnog is typically made with rum, brandy or bourbon, and Brown likes to start with a combination of dark rum and cognac. But there’s no need to go premium; he recommends using an affordable, high-proof VS cognac. The higher alcohol level will cut through the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. After all, “Eggnog is not ice cream,” he says.
What is the best alcohol for eggnog?
Choose The Right Spirit – 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.
What is good to mix with eggnog?
Whiskey or Bourbon – When wondering what to mix with eggnog, you can go beyond the traditional rum. Whiskey and bourbon are also great matches for this subtly spiced sip. Both of these spirits work well with holiday flavors like vanilla and spice, so adding a dram to your mug of eggnog is as natural as pairing peppermint with chocolate,
- Be sure to use a good whiskey that you enjoy sipping on its own.
- The same goes for eggnog! If you aren’t making a batch from scratch, try the best store-bought eggnog as chosen by our Test Kitchen.
- One bit of advice here: Steer clear of mixing Scotch whiskey with eggnog.
- Its smokiness will overwhelm the subtle flavors of the nog.
Good thing there are plenty of other types of whiskey to choose from!
What do you put in eggnog?
Homemade eggnog is a fun holiday treat with our easy eggnog recipe. None of the fillers of the store-bought stuff — just cream, sugar, eggs, and spices. Enjoy it spiked or without alcohol for a kid-friendly version. Updated September 13, 2022 Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker A traditional holiday drink dating back hundreds of years, eggnog is made with eggs (hence the name), milk, cream, spices like nutmeg and vanilla, and fortified with rum, whisky, and/or brandy, We grew up with eggnog, the kind you buy in a carton, and every Christmas holiday we kids drank up as much of it as we could.
Does eggnog taste better with alcohol?
Are there different kinds of eggnog? – James Norton, the editor of Heavy Table in Minnesota and an eggnog aficionado, says when it comes to the eggnog the average person can purchase at the grocery store, there are two varieties: drinking and mixing. “When mixing, sweetness is a great asset,” Norton says. The mixing eggnogs can taste overly sweet when consumed straight, but when cut with a choice liquor (like rum or brandy), the beverage strikes a balance. The other part of the equation is the thickness.
- The mixing eggnog is almost glue like,” Norton says.
- When you’re cutting it with an alcoholic spirit, it makes total sense.” Meanwhile, the drinking eggnogs are more liquid and less viscous, more akin to milk.
- Norton’s personal favorite is Organic Valley eggnog, and he’d rather drink it straight, accompanied with an Old Fashioned, saying he’s perfectly happy double fisting.
“Part of what i’m doing when I’m drinking eggnog is harkening back to my childhood,” Norton says, reaching for a familiar comfort and simplicity.
Does alcoholic eggnog go bad?
Deck the Halls With Cups of Eggnog – Most eggnog that’s kept in your grocery store’s refrigerated section will last for around one week if kept at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Once opened, it will last for about five days. For eggnog with a longer shelf life, purchase canned eggnog, which doesn’t require refrigeration and lasts for up to five months, unopened, in a cool pantry.
What makes eggnog taste so good?
What does eggnog taste like? – It’s sweet, rich, and very creamy. Think of a glass of custard or melted vanilla ice cream! But it also has a slightly spiced flavor thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg. It basically tastes like Christmas in a glass!
Why is eggnog a Christmas drink?
eggnog, a drink thought to have originated in the British Isles, composed of beaten eggs, sugar, and cream or milk and typically served during the Christmas and New Year ‘s holidays. A sort of liquid custard, eggnog often contains a small quantity of liquor as well, with rum, brandy, cognac, and whisky being among the typical alcoholic amendments,
- A word derived from Scottish and Irish Gaelic, a noggin is a cup; by extension, in early modern English, it came to mean a small quantity of alcohol, a quarter of a pint or less.
- Both senses are applicable to eggnog, a traditional holiday drink.
- 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 origin of the drink was likely a monastic holiday beverage called posset, made of milk and eggs and usually laced with ale, wine, or barleywine.
- It is first attested in medieval England in the 14th century.
- Although the treat originated in Britain, the term eggnog first appeared in Britain’s North American colonies —soon to be the United States—in 1775.
- George Washington served the drink during the Christmas holidays to family and guests at his home in Mount Vernon, Virginia, with his recipe calling for a staggering tablespoon of sugar for every egg,
Eggnog had become widespread during that season by the time cadets at the United States Military Academy rioted on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 1826, over regulations that prohibited them from consuming alcohol on campus; in the aftermath, 11 cadets were expelled.
- The early popularity of eggnog in the United States can probably be explained by the fact that all of its constituent ingredients were relatively more abundant and less expensive than in the British Isles, but today it is popular throughout the English-speaking world.
- Eggnog is usually served at room temperature, but in Australia and New Zealand, where Christmas falls at the beginning of summer, it is chilled.
Gregory Lewis McNamee
Is rum and egg nog good?
Ah, eggnog, Creamy, sweet and a pale golden hue, this drink is basically synonymous with Christmas. But the true star of this heady mixture of beaten eggs, sugar and cream or milk? The booze, of course. While traditional eggnog can be spiked with everything from bourbon to Sherry to brandy, rum is a particularly popular option—and for good reason.
With dark sugar overtones and deeply spicy character, rum provides a uniquely complex foundation for this dessert-like quaff. “It plays well with the nutmeg and the cinnamon aspect of,” says Wine Enthusiast’s senior tasting coordinator Craig Chamberlain. “Once anything—spirit-wise or wine-wise really—spends some time in a barrel, you’ll pick up a lot of those flavors as well.” But what kind is best in eggnog? There are many different styles of rum, so the answer isn’t always obvious.
Do you prefer rum that’s pricey or budget-friendly? White rum or spiced rum? We turned to Chamberlain for some of his favorite bottles. But first, we had some questions.
Do you put brandy or whiskey in eggnog?
Brandy: Makes the Most Traditional Eggnog – For the most traditional holiday experience, reach for brandy (specifically, Cognac) to spike your ‘nog. It’s important to note, though, that both brandy and eggnog are quite sweet. Combining them will produce something that someone with a sweet tooth will love, but that others may find cloying. Proceed with caution.
Is Bacardi rum good in eggnog?
As synonymous with the holiday season as Mariah Carey, BACARDÍ Eggnog is Christmas in a cup – or in a glass in this case. Made with BACARDÍ Spiced rum it’s just like melted ice cream; smooth, creamy and sweet but with a gentle kick of nutmeg spice.