Eggnog

[JeffRenner]

It's that time of year again, and since the last eggnog thread has been closed for inactivity for more than a year, I'll start a new one with a pointer to my post from a year ago.

Eggnog is a traditional part of our family's holidays, and I hope you all will check out that long post from a year ago.

Cheers

Jeff

[OscarV]

I love eggnog and bourbon.
I think Maker's Mark goes best with eggnog.
A local favorite here is Calder's eggnog. I don't know if it is a national brand or not.
Last weekend my sister-in-law came over and knowing my love of bourbon and it being "the season", she brought over a bottle of Evan Williams Original Southern Eggnog.
I was skeptical, but it turned out to be pretty good.
The label states that it has eggnog, EW bourbon, blended whiskey, rum and brandy. 30 proof.
But mixing my own MM with eggnog is still the best.

[Gillman]

I wonder how that recipe was devised (for the EW eggnog), it seems to cover a lot of bases in the spirits worlds (brandy + rum + whiskey etc.)!

It must have been fun putting it together anyway.

Maybe someone thought, some people think eggnog should have rum in it, some think brandy is ideal, and some bourbon, if we put some of each in we'll have a chance to reach all these markets. Maybe it is as simple as that.

Gary

[JeffRenner]

A local favorite here is Calder's eggnog. I don't know if it is a national brand or not.

I think it's a Detroit area diary with limited distribution.

I haven't had Calder's, but in general I can't stand commercial so-called eggnog. The ingredients typically include high fructose corn syrup and carageenen gum or other thickeners.

NPR's Sunday Weekend Edition had a great interview with Alton Brown on eggnog this past Sunday. He had some pithy comments on commercial eggnog, and some good tips on making your own.

He also was (properly, I think) insistent on using freshly ground nutmeg. As he said, why use ground stuff? This is true of any ground spice, I think, although some, like cinnamon, keep better than others, like coriander, which is about as tasteless as sawdust after a month or two.

Jeff

[NeoTexan]

He also was (properly, I think) insistent on using freshly ground nutmeg. As he said, why use ground stuff? This is true of any ground spice, I think, although some, like cinnamon, keep better than others, like coriander, which is about as tasteless as sawdust after a month or two.

Jeff

Actually, what we buy ground in the little jars is cassia, a close relative of cinnamon. I use a quill of true cinnamon and what a difference it makes!

[cowdery]

The earliest egg nog recipes, and recipes for similar dairy-based punches, called for brandy, then rum, sometimes both, and only more recently bourbon. The Evan Williams product seems to do very well. The Jewel supermarket in my neighborhood always has big stackings of EW Egg Nog and Christian Brothers Brandy (also a Heaven Hill product) at this time of year.

[AVB]

This is George Washington Eggnog. The recipe was take from Mt. Vernon itself and is really good as attested to by a number of people on other boards where I've posted this.

1 pint brandy
1/2 pint rye whiskey
1/2 pint Jamaica rum
1/4 pint sherry
8 eggs
12 Tbsp sugar
1 qt milk
1 qt heavy cream

Mix liquors first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs. Beat yolks and add sugar, mixing well. Add liquor to mixture slowly, continuing to beat. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Chill thoroughly.

[Ubertaster]

Hello Jeff. I brewed up your recipe of Egg Nog last night and it is a winner. I will be bringing this to our family Christmas Party. Thanks.

bj

[JeffRenner]

Hello Jeff. I brewed up your recipe of Egg Nog last night and it is a winner. I will be bringing this to our family Christmas Party. Thanks.

I'm really pleased to hear that. I love spreading dad's old recipe and its story.

We're going to have it again this year out here in L.A. with our daughter and son-in-law (and our new granddaughter ). Our son and d-i-l are coming down here from east-central Neveda for the Rose Bowl, as is my brother-in-law and nephew.

You know we'll drink a toast to my dad with his eggnog!

Jeff

[Old Lamplighter]

At the risk of being accused of the high crime of bourbon misuse and abuse, I took the liberty this evening of creating Stagg Nogg.

It turned out very, very good in comparison to several other bourbon & egg nog combinations I have tried this year and in past years at holiday time. I was pleasantly surprised. If you have an ample supply of Stagg, give it a try. If not, I would advise you to save it for the purer form of Stagg enjoyment - neat or with a little water.