It is a drink that has a history as rich as its content. 

Fitting Religious Origins

While many regard eggnog as an American tradition, the beginnings of this drink reach back centuries prior to the New World even being discovered. And like many world-famous potables, we can thank the monks for eggnog’s origin. These Abbey dwellers are frequently cited as the creators of famed wines, beers, and spirits, and in a similar fashion, those devout distillers also concocted the initial mixture that spawned our featured holiday drink.

In the 1200s a potable emerged that was an odd combination, at least by our modern American palates. Combining ale, figs, and eggs the monks made a drink called Possett that went through numerous changes as it evolved over the centuries. At some point, it was combined with curdled milk as a warm drink, with ale or wine added along with newly common spices of nutmeg and/or cinnamon. Later, it then became a combination of cream, citrus, sugar, and spices. In later years it was sherry that was added to the milk and eggs mixture.

In this era, the drink was regarded as a drink mostly for the upper-crust elites since these dairy products were mostly available for the wealthier European class. Egg nog became a more egalitarian drink however when America was becoming populated. The recipe for the drink came along aboard ships and gradually became more widespread. Since the colonists were a farming-rich gentry, the ingredients were far more available.

The main reason we regard egg nog as a holiday feature has to do with practicality. Understandably a cream and egg mixture is a challenge to keep fresh for a time without without refrigeration, so the cold weather months would see this mixture lasting far easier, and thus eggnog was more readily seen as the fall months arrived. 

One other change seen is the alcohol used in the mix. Rum became a more available spirit, with Caribbean molasses fitting the bill. Massachusetts, for a time, was a primary rum distilling center and as a result, it became the shining star of colonial eggnog. Around the same time, variations evolved across the hemisphere. In Mexico there is a very similar drink called Rampope, based on a Spanish drink, Ponche de Huevo (Egg Punch). And in Puerto Rico, a holiday fixture is the coconut-centered concoction, Coquito.

These days, there are plenty of options for blending your nog, as the drink is surprisingly adaptable. Whiskey and bourbon are commonly used to augment the drink, and some prefer to use brandy or even cognac to come up with even more variations. The main decision to make before getting into the cocktail side is "homemade or store-bought." This decision is rooted in two main factors; taste, and time. The primary difference will be in freshness, of course, with the secondary being the thickness. Over time, the premade versions have become thicker in their consistency, with corn syrups and other thickening agents like those used in ice cream affecting the drink’s viscosity. 

Once you have your foundation nog let the experimentation begin.

Basic Homemade Egg Nog

Here is a good base if you want a homemade nog. It is not overly difficult and just requires an afternoon with prep woirk and light work.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 4 whole cinnamon sticks
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 7 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream or half and half for a light version
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

PREPARATION

• In a saucepan, add milk, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Simmer over LOW heat for 5 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl add sugar and egg yolks. Whisk thoroughly.
• Bring the heat for the saucepan mixture to MEDIUM.
• Pour about 1/2 of the milk mixture into the bowl, whisking as you add.
• Now add that mixture into the saucepan, whisking over MEDIUM heat for roughly 3 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly..
• Pour the mixture into a large bowl to cool for one hour.
• To the room temperature ingredients add the heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and nutmeg, stirring constantly.

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With your Nog established - hand-wrought or store-bought - it is on to the cocktails. The good thing is you can adjust the alcohol to your preference without adverse effects. 

RUM NOG

• 2 oz. rum 
• 1 oz. Rumchata
• 4 oz. eggnog
• Dashes Nutmeg
• Cinnamon

Mix ingredients and nutmeg in a shaker with ice and pour contents into a glass. Dust with cinnamon and garnish with cinnamon stick.

CARAMEL KICK

More flavorful layers are found in this whiskey version.

• 2 oz. Whiskey
• 1 oz. Caramel liqueur, or Caramel Whiskey (optional)
• 4 oz. Eggnog
• Dash Cinnamon
• Warm Caramel

Mix the first four ingredients in a shaker with ice. Drizzle caramel on the sides of the glass. Pour the shaker contents into a glass. Dust with cinnamon and drizzle caramel over the foam.

Citrus Nod Nog

This has echoes of the olden recipes, with some interesting components to deepen the flavor profile. 

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. Triple Sec
• 4 oz. Eggnog
• Dash Nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a shaker, pour into a glass, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

COQUITO

This Puerto Rican mix is a sheer delight and is frequently shared and sold by residents with others during the yule season. I have been wrestling with a recipe and finally teamed up with my PR podcast co-host @AggieRican to convince her mother to part with her recipe. I then tweaked it with my own preferences, and a batch of holiday magic was created.

A batch is made in the blender, and a storage pitcher is used. Mine has an infuser that I fill with ground coconut to just deepen the flavor.

• 15 oz. Can Cream of Coconut
• 14 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
• ¼ Tsp. ground Cinnamon
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 3-4 Dashes Nutmeg
• 1 ½ Cup White Rum
• ½ Cup Rumchata

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Pour into a pitcher and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Pour by the glass and garnish with coconut flakes and a cinnamon stick.