How Many Eggnogs Will You Drink This Month?

You know winter is approaching in Canada when eggnog starts appearing on grocery store shelves. December is the biggest month for eggnog sales.

The average American is expected to drink six spiked eggnogs this month, for an estimated total of 1.2 billion boozy beverages across the country, according to a new survey.

FUN FACT: Why is eggnog only sold at Christmas?

The drink first made its appearance in the American colonies in the 18th century, where both eggs and rum were plentiful. Eggnog was particularly popular around Christmastime because of its warm temperature and the addition of flavours, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla bean, which embodied the winter season.

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE IT!

One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one-pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into the mixture…

With no hard and fast rules, eggnog can be made with any number of different distilled spirits, or none at all, known as “virgin eggnog”.

Rum, sherry, Cognac, and whiskey are all suitable for eggnog. Some suggest that it should be a mix of two dark distilled spirits to balance out the sweet treacle flavour of eggnog, but it’s best to try them out and see what works best for you.