What’s wintertime without eggnog? Fortunately, no one’s had to experience an eggnog-less holiday season for a few hundred years. From the beginning, eggnog was a decadent drink featured at celebrations and holidays. Thirteenth-century English lords and ladies used it to toast to wealth, and the ancient Japanese used a version of it to alleviate colds and sore throats.
Today, eggnog is still a special drink served during holiday celebrations. Learn about eggnog’s storied past and how to make both traditional and non-traditional variations everyone will love.
Eggnog is a drink traditionally consumed during the winter holiday season. This chilled dairy beverage gets its name from one of its main ingredients — eggs. While many people many not fancy drinking eggs on their own, add a bit of milk, cream, sugar, and cinnamon, and they’ll go wild. Eggnog has been a traditional Christmas beverage for hundreds of years in America, but this country isn’t the only one to partake in this festive beverage.
Many places around the world have different types of eggnog, including:
As a seasonal drink, eggnog is typically only in stock during the winter months. Luckily, it’s simple enough to make on your own, so you can have it any time of year.
Eggnog is a relatively contested beverage — some love it, and others may question why anyone thought to add raw eggs to a drink with milk and alcohol. Eggnog has a long and storied history, originating even before the invention of modern refrigeration.
The etymology of the word eggnog has old English origins, with “nog” meaning either a strong beer or a wooden cup. The word eggnog seems to derive from both these meanings with the presence of eggs and its strong, alcoholic ingredients.
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. Monks in the Middle Ages added figs and eggs to this beverage they called “posset,” essentially an aromatic eggnog, and the wealthy generally used it for toasts to health and wealth.
Most likely, eggnog became associated with the holiday season due to lack of refrigeration. In the early American colonies, eggnog became a more common drink. Due to the extensive farming opportunities, farmers and everyday people had more access to cows and chickens. And with cows and chickens come milk and eggs, essential ingredients for eggnog.
Surprisingly, our founding father, George Washington, had strong feelings about making strong eggnog. His recipe calls for:
He omitted the number of eggs, but one dozen seems to be a good ratio. The final instructions included in the recipe were to leave in a cool place for a few days and to taste frequently. Due to the lack of refrigeration, the winter months around Christmas were the only times people could leave a milky, eggy beverage out for any period of time without spoiling.
Unlike the medieval version, sherry became less prominent in the newer American iterations of eggnog. Rum became the popular alcoholic addition due to America’s proximity to the Caribbean islands, where enslaved Africans harvested sugar cane for molasses. An essential ingredient in rum, the molasses trade became crucial in the economic development of the Americas.
Eggnog also has a troubled past. Due to its high alcohol content, eggnog featured prominently in the Eggnog Riot at West Point in 1826. To set the stage, you’ll need to know a little bit about the tradition that spurred the events of that night. West Point, the United States Military Academy, hosted a Christmas celebration every year with eggnog, but with the introduction of the strict new superintendent, Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, all alcohol on West Point’s campus was forbidden.
Many students didn’t agree with Thayer’s monastic rules. Eggnog was a traditional part of West Point Christmas, but the new rules barring alcohol complicated the festivities. Not ones to miss out on the fun, the West Point classes of 1826 concocted a plan. Students began trying to smuggle in alcohol from taverns around town, and even from across the Hudson River, to add to their eggnog.
After a scuffle when two monitors discovered a few drunk students, things escalated into a full riot. Once things calmed down, there was significant damage to the institution and the administration expelled almost 20 cadets.
Eggnog’s rich history doesn’t stop in the America’s. Our nearby island relative, Jamaica, has a practically identical drink with a rummy twist. Jamaican eggnog calls specifically for a particular brand of rum made with Jamaican molasses and aged in white oak barrels for up to four years.
Across the globe, the Japanese also developed a form of eggnog they call tamagozake. Made by whisking raw eggs and sugar into warm sake, this drink is more well known for its medicinal properties, including soothing sore throats and alleviating the common cold.
There are a few things to keep in mind if you plan on making your eggnog from scratch. Most eggnog recipes don’t include cooked eggs, so these tips will help ensure you’re consuming your eggnog safely:
In addition to food safety, be careful about the amount of liquor you include in any alcoholic versions of eggnog. As a sweet drink, it might be easy to over-consume alcohol when drinking spiked eggnog. Start small with your additions of rum, whiskey, and bourbon — you can always add more if you’re looking for a stronger taste.
Why would someone want to drink a beverage with raw eggs in it, especially given the fact they may contain harmful bacteria? Pasteurization addresses the bacteria concern. As for eggs as ingredients themselves, they feature prominently in baking recipes like brownies, cakes, and cookies, but they also feature in certain no-bake dishes, such as flan, custard, and cheesecake. Recipes often call for adding eggs in three different ways — as a whole, just the yolks, or just the whites.
Whole eggs in a recipe add structure to the batter, meaning it keeps the mixture together and helps it form the desired texture. If a recipe calls for yolks, it’s usually for their fat content. Yolks can emulsify or bind liquids and fats together, and they also enhance the richness of flavors and thicken mixtures. On the other hand, egg whites create airy, light textures such as those in sponge cakes and meringues.
In eggnog, both the yolks and whites are often used to serve both of these functions. Some recipes call for whipped egg whites, which help make the light, frothy texture many enjoy in their eggnog. The yolks also help bind the liquids and fats together in the beverage to avoid separation and give the eggnog a rich, creamy taste. While it may be strange at first, there’s a scientific and flavorful reason to add raw eggs into eggnog.
Whether you’re planning holiday parties or just want to enjoy eggnog in the comfort of your home, this recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings for this perfect holiday treat. To make traditional eggnog, you’ll need:
To create this traditional eggnog including alcohol, follow these directions:
If you’d prefer a traditional eggnog without liquor, this is what you’ll need:
Instructions for this nonalcoholic eggnog call for cooking the mixture to 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit. You can choose to heat the mixture or use pasteurized eggs, following these instructions if you opt to heat up your recipe:
While nothing beats traditional eggnog, there are countless variations on this classic drink. Experimenting with different toppings, flavors, and alcohol can elevate your eggnog game and will make your drink the talk of the party — or just the talk of the house if you choose not to share!
Some of these recipes include alcohol*, but others are nonalcoholic so the whole family can enjoy a glass. Even without the alcohol, still enjoy eggnog in moderation — the high-fat content makes it a caloric and heavy drink.
Maybe you’re a history buff, or perhaps someone’s talked you into a medieval-themed Christmas party. Whatever the reason, you can make the original version of eggnog, called posset, in your modern kitchen. While this may not be the most appetizing drink by modern standards, it’ll satisfy anyone who wants to step back in time. You’ll need:
The medieval cook who wrote the instructions for this recipe indicated it would become “like a cheese,” so do with that what you will.
Most Puerto Rican families have their own recipes for coquito, and the alcohol percentage can vary widely between recipes. For a basic coquito, you’ll need:
As with most eggnog recipes, you’ll need to heat and cool the mixture. It turns out best when it’s made a day in advance. Follow these instructions to make your own coquito:
Store in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Serve in shot glasses with a dusting of cinnamon and, ¡Salud! You’ve made your own coquito.
A festive take on this “shaken, not stirred” drink is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit. You can use pre-made eggnog or utilize a bit of your homemade concoction to make this martini. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Follow these simple steps to create this festive martini:
For an extra bit of fancy, you can rim the glass with an assortment of toppings. To prepare a rimmed glass:
For the chocoholics in the crowd, this spiced chocolate eggnog is a wonderful twist on the classic vanilla flavor profile. For this recipe, gather:
This recipe is alcohol-free so the whole family can enjoy it. Set aside plenty of time, as this eggnog needs to cool completely before serving. The steps to make this eggnog are:
If you like a particular brand of whiskey, bourbon, rum, or brandy, add a shot to a glass of chilled eggnog and dust with nutmeg or cinnamon to enjoy an easy homemade alcoholic drink. This option is great if you’re serving a crowd with some that want nonalcoholic eggnog and some that prefer a spiked variety.
Some people also enjoy adding eggnog — spiked or unspiked — into a cup of coffee. It delivers the same creamy texture as creamer but adds a wonderful holiday sweetness and flavor. Alternatively, you can even use it to spice up your pancake or waffle mixes. Just substitute eggnog for up to the entire measurement of milk or water.
When you’re making eggnog, you want to be confident the ingredients you use are high-quality and safe for you and your family. Sauder’s Eggs are the perfect choice for all your holiday baking needs, including those recipes that don’t spend any time in the oven. Complete these wonderful eggnog recipes with the best eggs from Sauder’s.
Browse our products online and check out our store locator to find Sauder’s Eggs near you.
This post was last modified on December 13, 2022
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