Eggnog, or egg nog, is a sweetened dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or
cream, sugar, and whipped eggs.
Spirits such as brandy, rum or bourbon are often added.
The finished serving is often garnished with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
It was also known as the egg milk punch.
Eggnog is traditionally consumed throughout Canada and the United States around Christmas.
Eggnog may be added as a flavoring to food or drinks such as coffee and tea.
Eggnog as a custard can also be used as an ice cream base.
History
The origins, etymology, and the ingredients used to make the original eggnog drink are
debated.
Eggnog may have originated in East Anglia, England; or it may have simply developed from
posset, a medieval European beverage made with hot milk.
The "nog" part of its name may stem from the word noggin, a Middle English term for a small,
carved wooden mug used to serve alcohol.
However, the British drink was also called an Egg Flip, from the practice of "flipping"
the mixture between two pitchers to mix it.
One very early example: Isaac Weld, Junior, in his book Travels Through the States of
North America and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796,
and 1797 wrote: "The American travellers, before they pursued their journey, took a
hearty draught each, according to custom, of egg-nog, a mixture composed of new milk,
eggs, rum, and sugar, beat up together;..."
In Britain, the drink was popular mainly among the aristocracy.
Those who could get milk and eggs mixed it with brandy, Madeira or sherry to make a drink
similar to modern alcoholic egg nog.
The drink is described in Cold Comfort Farm as a Hell's Angel, made with an egg, two ounces
of brandy, a teaspoonful of cream, and some chips of ice, where it is served as breakfast.
The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century.
Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed, rum from the Triangular Trade with the Caribbean
was a cost-effective substitute.
The inexpensive liquor, coupled with plentiful farm and dairy products, helped the drink
become very popular in America.
When the supply of rum to the newly founded United States was reduced as a consequence
of the American Revolutionary War, Americans turned to domestic whiskey, and eventually
bourbon in particular, as a substitute.
The Eggnog Riot occurred at the United States Military Academy on 23–25 December 1826.
Whiskey was smuggled into the barracks to make eggnog for a Christmas Day party.
The incident resulted in the court-martialing of twenty cadets and one enlisted soldier.
Ingredients
Traditional eggnog typically consists of milk, sugar, raw eggs, and spices, usually nutmeg.
Cream may be included to make a richer and thicker drink, though some modern eggnogs
add gelatin.
Vanilla is a common flavoring, with grated nutmeg sprinkled on top.
Other toppings include whipped cream, meringue, cinnamon, ice cream, and chocolate curls.
Eggnog can be homemade from recipes.
Ready-made eggnog versions are seasonally available and may contain whiskey, rum, brandy,
bourbon, or cognac.
Also available are "mixes" that contain all the ingredients except the liquor.
With these the end-user can tailor the strength of the drink, from rather strong, to only
a taste of liquor, to no liquor at all.
Though eggnog is high in fat and cholesterol, low-fat and no-sugar formulations are available
using skimmed or lowfat milk.
Under current U.S. law, commercial products sold as eggnog are permitted to contain milk,
sugar, modified milk ingredients, glucose-fructose, water, carrageenan, guar gum, natural and
artificial flavorings, spices, monoglycerides, and colorings.
The ingredients in commercial eggnog vary significantly, but generally raw eggs are
not included.
Non-dairy eggnogs
Some North American manufacturers offer soy, almond, rice or coconut milk-based alternatives
for vegans and those with dairy allergies.
The history of non-dairy eggnogs goes back to at least 1899 when Almeda Lambert, in her
Guide for Nut Cookery, gave a recipe for "Egg Nog" made using coconut cream, eggs, and sugar.
In 1973, Eunice Farmilant, in The Natural Foods Sweet-Tooth Cookbook, gave a more modern
non-dairy eggnog recipe using 3 eggs separated, 2 tablespoons of barley malt extract or Amasake
syrup, 4 cups of chilled soy milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and nutmeg,
In December 1981, Grain Country of Los Angeles, California, introduced Grain Nog, the earliest
known non-dairy and vegan eggnog.
Based on amazake and containing no eggs, it was available in plain, strawberry, and carob
flavors.
Also in December 1981, Redwood Valley Soyfoods Unlimited introduced Soynog, the earliest
known soy-based non-dairy and vegan eggnog based on soy milk and tofu.
It was renamed Lite Nog in 1982 and Tofu Nog in 1985.
The eggnog-custard connection Some recipes for homemade eggnog call for
egg yolks to be cooked with milk into a custard to avoid potential hazards from raw eggs;
eggnog has much in common with classic custard-pudding recipes that do not call for corn starch,
and many types of eggnog can also be cooked into egg-custard puddings, or churned into
eggnog-flavored ice cream.
Safety concerns For concerns about the safety of selling products
made from raw eggs and milk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has changed or altered
the definition of eggnog a number of times towards artificial replacements for the large
number of eggs traditionally required.
Modern FDA regulations require eggnog to contain at least 1% egg yolk solids and "milk or milk
products."
In the home and in restaurants, eggnog can be made more safely by using pasteurized eggs.
See also
Notes
References Rombauer, Irma S. and Marion Rombauer Becker
The Joy of Cooking, pp 48, 50.
Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
ISBN 0-452-25665-8.