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The eggnog recipe
one glass, in three minutes
Put the tumbler in the freezer for fifteen minutes.
Add the egg, cognac, rum, simple syrup, milk and heavy cream to the shaker. First, shake for 10 seconds without ice. This dry shake breaks up the egg and makes the drink creamy.
Then add the ice and shake hard for another 15 seconds, until the outside of the shaker is ice-cold.
Pour through two strainers into the chilled glass. This keeps any strands of egg and ice shards behind.
Grate some fresh nutmeg over the top and drink immediately.
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Send the Eggnog recipe to your own email so you have it handy when you make it. You'll also get a €5 discount code on orders over €50 for the glasses that go with it.
The story
Eggnog is probably descended from posset. That was a British drink from the Middle Ages: warm milk curdled with wine or beer. It took shape in the American colonies. In the countryside, milk, eggs and sugar were plentiful, and rum from the Caribbean was cheap. The word first appears in a poem by Maryland clergyman Jonathan Boucher, around 1775. In 1788, it appeared in a newspaper for the first time. No one knows for sure where the name came from. Maybe from noggin, a small wooden drinking cup. Or maybe from a strong beer from East Anglia. In 1862, Jerry Thomas included an Egg Nogg in his bar book, made with cognac and rum, shaken with ice and topped with nutmeg. George Washington is said to have made a version with rye whiskey, rum and sherry.
The right glass
Jerry Thomas already used a tumbler, and we still think it's the most practical glass. It has a sturdy, straight-sided shape, and if you chill it in the freezer first, its thick base keeps it cold for a long time. A 32 to 38 cl tumbler holds a serving of over 20 cl, with room for a layer of foam and the nutmeg. If you're pouring from a bowl for a whole group, use smaller glasses. Eggnog is rich stuff. Take a look at our tumblers, too.
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
RCR Aria Tumbler 38 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 63,90.
The right tools
For an Eggnog, in addition to a glass, use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining, and a nutmeg grater. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our pick 01) + 5 bar tools together € 147,70.
Variations & twists
In America, bourbon often replaces cognac, and some people use only rum. In Puerto Rico, they drink coquito, made with coconut milk and rum. Mexico has rompope, made with cinnamon. To make warm eggnog, heat the milk, cream and sugar, then slowly stir in the beaten egg. For something a little lighter, try the Porto Flip, made with port, brandy and egg yolk. And our very own Dutch cousin, advocaat, is served as a Snowball with lemon soda.
Serving tip
Grate the nutmeg right at the end. Its aroma fades after just a few minutes. Use a whole nut and a fine grater, because pre-ground nutmeg from a jar quickly starts to smell musty. You can use a cinnamon stick for stirring, but you won’t miss it if you leave it out.
Good to know
Eggnog, eierpunch and advocaat
Eggnog, also known as eierpunch in Dutch, is related to advocaat. Both contain eggs, sugar and spirits. Advocaat is our egg liqueur, made with egg yolks, sugar and brandy. It’s so thick that we eat it here with a spoon, often topped with a dollop of whipped cream. European regulations require it to contain at least 14 percent alcohol. Eggnog is made with the whole egg, milk and cream, so it’s much thinner, and you make it fresh. There’s a well-known story about the name advocaat. Dutch colonists in Brazil are said to have made a drink with avocado and, back home, replaced the avocado with egg yolk. There’s no real proof of this. Want to try advocaat in a cocktail? Try the Snowball.
Making eggnog without raw egg
Not keen on raw egg? Make the cooked version. Beat the egg with the sugar syrup. Heat the milk and cream until steaming, then pour them into the egg in a thin stream while whisking. Return everything to low heat and stir until the mixture reaches 71 degrees or coats the back of a spoon. Don’t let it boil, or the egg will curdle. Let it cool, stir in the cognac and rum, and chill for at least two hours. If you still want to shake the raw version, use pasteurized refrigerated eggs.
Eggnog for a group
For six glasses, you'll need 6 eggs, 18 cl cognac, 18 cl rum, 12 cl sugar syrup, 36 cl whole milk, and 18 cl heavy cream. Set the recipe to 6 servings to see all the quantities listed. Shaking each glass separately would be quite a task. Blend everything on low for a minute, or whisk it together in a large bowl. Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour to chill and thicken slightly. Stir before pouring, and grate nutmeg into each glass. Find more ideas in our cocktails for a group.
What kind of liquor goes in eggnog
Cognac with dark rum is the classic combination, as Jerry Thomas wrote it down in 1862. The cognac brings fruit and a rounded warmth, while the rum adds caramel and molasses. Americans often use bourbon. That makes the eggnog sweeter and gives it more vanilla notes. Spiced rum works too, but use a little less sugar syrup. Keep the total amount of spirits to around 6 cl per glass. Any more, and the alcohol overpowers the egg; any less, and you're mostly drinking milk. You can also taste how well cognac and cream pair in the Brandy Alexander.
How much alcohol is in eggnog
About 10 percent. With 3 cl cognac and 3 cl rum, both at 40 percent, you have 2.4 cl of pure alcohol in total. Add the egg, milk, cream, and syrup, and you have about 22 cl. After shaking with ice, there's just over 25 cl in the glass. That's almost 19 grams of alcohol, or about two standard drinks. Because eggnog is so creamy and sweet, you can barely taste the alcohol. If you're making it for a group, put out a pitcher without alcohol too. Replace the spirits with extra milk and a drop of vanilla.
Making eggnog without a shaker
A shaker is handy, but you can do without one. Put everything in a clean jam jar with a tightly fitting lid. Shake first without ice, then with a few ice cubes. Or blend on low for twenty seconds and pour through a small sieve into the glass. A whisk and a bowl work too, if you first whisk the egg well with the sugar syrup and only then add the rest. The quickest way is with an immersion blender. You can find a good shaker among our cocktail shakers.
Frequently asked questions
What is eggnog?
An English and American drink made with egg, sugar, milk, and cream, with cognac, rum, or bourbon added and nutmeg on top. It’s mostly drunk around Christmas, hot or cold. The flavor is somewhere between vanilla custard and advocaat, but eggnog is much thinner.
Is eggnog the same as advocaat?
No, although they’re related. Advocaat is a Dutch egg liqueur made with egg yolks, sugar, and brandy. It’s so thick you eat it with a spoon. Eggnog is made with whole eggs, milk, and cream. It’s thin enough to drink, and you make it fresh with cognac, rum, or bourbon.
Is eggnog with raw egg safe?
Raw eggs carry a small risk of salmonella. So use fresh eggs that have been kept refrigerated, or pasteurized eggs from the refrigerated section. If you want to avoid all risk, make the cooked version and heat the milk, cream, syrup, and egg together to 71 degrees. That’s the better choice for people with weakened immune systems.
What alcohol goes into eggnog?
Classically, it’s made with cognac and dark rum, 3 cl of each per glass. In America, many people use bourbon, sometimes with a little rum added. Don’t go much over 6 cl of spirits per glass, so you can still taste the egg, cream, and nutmeg.
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