Bourbon eggnog wars!

[Dedward429]

Who has the best bourbon eggnog in your opinion? I have access to Even Williams, Maker's Mark, and Benchmark eggnog. What's your favorite bottled eggnog?

[smokinjoe]

I usually pick up a pre-bottled egg nog each Holiday season.  I typically will add a little more bourbon…or rum…or brandy to it to suit my tastes.  I usually get the Heaven Hill as it is plentiful and solid.

The homemade nogs are very good, but I don’t trust myself not killing off the entire Smokinjoe gene pool because I didn’t handle the raw eggs correctly.  But, I do trust and drink other’s batches for some reason…Not sure what that I’m saying about me…

[Mattk]

We have a local spot near us that does excellent egg nog. But besides that I like the ew egg nog with a pour of baby saz and a pinch of nutmeg.

[camduncan]

I wish the distributors would bring it into our country,.. I can only conclude that our summer weather for Xmas here isn't compatible with it.  Fortunately we do get good refrigerated egg nog from grocery stores - and I just add a decent pour of bourbon to my serving.

[Jazz Nut]

I just made my first batch of homemade eggnog (7 quarts) and between Thanksgiving and friends curious to try some, I am almost out!  So I'll need to make a new batch, as a week or two of age has really made this tasty!

 

Here's the recipe I used:

10 eggs, separated

3 cups granulated sugar (Baker's sugar is easiest)

1.5 pints of white rum (I used Plantation 3 stars)

1 quart heavy cream

1 pint bourbon (I used Elijah Craig single barrel 94 proof, I had two partial bottles of local liquor store single barrels that I used)

1 pint brandy (I used 5 year aged Armagnac)

3 quarts milk (I used whole milk)

1 teaspoon ground fresh nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Beat the egg yolks until smooth.  Pour beaten yolk into pot or mixing bowl having at least a 7-quart capacity.  Add the sugar and stir well until the mix is well integrated.  Add the rum slowly and stir well until all the sugar is dissolved.  Add the cream and stir to blend.  Add the bourbon, brandy, milk, then spices, mixing well after each addition.  In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy and smooth but not too firm, add to egg nog mixture.  Beat the egg nog mixture well, about two minutes.  Ladle the eggnog into storage bottles (I used mason/canning jars)--taking care to portion the foamy top froth proportionally into the bottles.  Stir the mixture vigorously between bottles to mix up any spice sediment.  Chill bottles.  Shake well before serving.

 

After having been through quite a bit of this, the next batch I'll make will include more bourbon, or higher proof bourbon, as well as more cinnamon and I'll add a vanilla bean and paste into the egg/cream mixture.  Thinking I may splurge and pour in a Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, but that has yet to be decided.

 

Overall, for making it for the first time, I was extremely pleased.  It's tasty, safe (since it's 20 proof or so, and no risk of salmonella), and great to share with friends and family!  

 

I've enjoyed the Evan Williams Egg Nog, though not egg nog--I really LOVE the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream, as well as the newer Jim Beam Bourbon Cream (which is easier to find in my area).

Edited December 6, 2022 by Jazz Nut

[Sven Heuchert]

Evan Williams is awesome. There is a canadian brand called Cabot Trail which is also very good. 

[MM818]

@Jazz NutThis looks fairly close to the Alton Brown aged recipe. I still have one mason jar left in the fridge from the batch I made a year ago. It’s over a year old and still looks, smells, and tastes good. 

[Jazz Nut]

4 minutes ago, MM818 said:

@Jazz NutThis looks fairly close to the Alton Brown aged recipe. I still have one mason jar left in the fridge from the batch I made a year ago. It’s over a year old and still looks, smells, and tastes good. 

 

That looks fantastic!!  Slightly darker and richer with the age.  Glad to hear it!  Yeah, I was wondering if this was a take on the Alton Brown recipe.  I got the recipe from a winemaker (Mike and Leah Smith's Instagram page), and really pleased with it!  Have you tasted it since you made it, and was it worth aging a year?

[Skinsfan1311]

Not a big fan, but have been known to have the occasional pour, with some freshly grated nutmeg.

 

Mrs. Skinsfan, and my Mom, love the EW egg-nog, so I'll go with that.

 

If the EW isn't available, they seem to lik Pennsylvania Dutch Egg Nog too, but it's a little thin.

 

No matter what the brand, I add a small splash of bourbon.

[MM818]

20 minutes ago, Jazz Nut said:

 

That looks fantastic!!  Slightly darker and richer with the age.  Glad to hear it!  Yeah, I was wondering if this was a take on the Alton Brown recipe.  I got the recipe from a winemaker (Mike and Leah Smith's Instagram page), and really pleased with it!  Have you tasted it since you made it, and was it worth aging a year?

I drank some this morning before I posted in this thread. I think it tastes the same as it did after a few weeks. For me, I enjoyed this “project” and think it’s worth aging a year because it’s a hassle to make.  I split the batch to enjoy over two seasons. 

[Jazz Nut]

5 minutes ago, MM818 said:

I drank some this morning before I posted in this thread. I think it tastes the same as it did after a few weeks. For me, I enjoyed this “project” and think it’s worth aging a year because it’s a hassle to make.  I split the batch to enjoy over two seasons. 

 

I really found that a few weeks let everything come together.  Good to know it's kind of plateaued, but also that it didn't degrade.  It was a fun project!

[smokinjoe]

Wrapping dome Christmas presents with a bit of Evan Williams nog.  

[Skinsfan1311]

18 minutes ago, smokinjoe said:

Wrapping dome Christmas presents with a bit of Evan Williams nog.  

A splash of EWSiB really makes the egg nog sing