For many, it is the most hated of all nogs, but for those who are like me, it is as much a part of the holiday as carols, presents, and heavy-handed television specials. I can’t remember the first time I tried it, it’s been a part of my holiday tradition since as far back as I can remember. Every year of my childhood a carton of the stuff would unceremoniously appear in the fridge and we would drink it after dinner with cookies and dessert. As an adult I’ve carried on the tradition, though now I make my own as opposed to buying it in the store.
Eggnog is centuries old and, like mulled wine, there are innumerable variations. Some served hot, others cold, some with whiskey, others with rum, or brandy, or sherry. In recent years, with the threat of salmonella, more recipes call for the eggs to be tempered with hot milk or cream, though older recipes would have you make it with raw egg.
Several years ago I stumbled across a blog supposedly recounting a recipe that had originated from Charles Dickens. I don’t know if the story is true, nor do I really care, the recipe was simple enough so I decided to try it for myself. Being an older variation, this one of course called for raw egg. It wasn’t exactly the same as the store-bought stuff I had grown up drinking, but it was close and I liked that it was homemade. For years this was the way I served it to guests during the holidays.
During my last big holiday party in Missouri, the year before I moved to Chicago, I made a pitcher of eggnog, expecting I would be the only one drinking it, which is often the case. To my surprise the guests loved it and before I knew it the pitcher was empty. I offered to make another batch and everyone agreed that they would love to have more, until they saw me making it. Once everyone knew I had been making it with raw eggs, they were horrified. After I had finished making the second pitcher, no one would touch it.
This year, I decided to make it again, but I wanted to see how it changed from heating it on the stovetop to using raw egg. To my surprise, I found I enjoyed the texture of the eggnog that had been tempered and allowed to chill more than the raw egg variety I had made in the past.
I also tried it with a variety of liquors including brandy, rum, whiskey, and Malört. The recipe I always used called for whiskey, but I preferred it with rum more than any other alcohol. I think it tasted closer to what I recall from my childhood with whiskey, but the rum gave it a smoother flavor.
Like most things during the holidays, a big part of why I make eggnog is to share it with others. If the concern over salmonella is going to get in the way of people enjoying it, I think I’m going to have to temper the eggs with heated milk and cream moving forward. The next time someone is disgusted with my eggnog I want it to be because I didn’t tell them I put Malört in it, not because they’re worried about getting sick.