A History of Eggnog (and Eggnog Recipes!)

Here’s a little holiday trivia for you: What do George Washington and Christmas have in common? Okay, besides the whole crossing the Delaware thing.

Eggnog. 

That’s right — eggnog is celebrating its (roughly) 258th holiday season in the U.S. and GW was a huge fan…so much so that he had it served at his January 1765 wedding to Martha Washington. Eggnog had made its way across the pond, where it had originated in England in medieval times. (Back then it was called “posset”...so “eggnog” is actually an improvement on the name!) Silky, creamy, cinnamon-scented, and boozy in the best way: a recipe for eggnog is a recipe for a Christmas classic, and when it comes to eggnog recipes, we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve to make yours the best yet:

Fair enough. But with 15 million gallons of eggnog consumed each year in the United States, we believe there might still be a recipe out there for you.

First, two pro tips:

1. If you might like thicker eggnog, add more cream to any recipe.

2. If you might like lighter eggnog, add more milk to your cocktail. 

Now for the homemade eggnog recipe:

If your wariness of eggnog was the store-bought version, or the thought it might be complicated to make, be ready to look like a homemade hero when you whip up our super simple spiked eggnog recipe, inspired from AllRecipes.com (we added the rum as optional, but really…try it with rum!)

• 2 ⅓ cups milk

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 dash ground nutmeg

• 4 oz (½ cup) rum
  
  

1. Blend milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg in a large pitcher until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Glad you asked. 

Enter the “Kentucky Eggnog”. This is an easy bourbon eggnog recipe, and a great alternative to the usual bourbon cocktails. Eggnog and whiskey, especially bourbon, are a natural pair. The rich, slightly spiced caramel and vanilla notes in your favorite bourbon boost the natural sweetness of eggnog and cut through the creamy texture with just enough bite to make things really interesting. You’ll find yourself refilling glasses all evening. 

Kentucky Eggnog isn’t a new concept either. Though no one is certain when and where it originated, there’s solid evidence it’s been around for more than 100 years. Take this quote from the Chicago Sunday Tribune in 1929,

“The Kentucky eggnog is far too cheering, they say. Kentuckians are notably hospitable, and their homes are the ones where everyone likes to call, but alas! where it is easy to imbibe too much.”

Indeed. Well, if you’d like to make a party-size quantity of that delightful drink, here’s the recipe as it appeared in the Clarksdale Press of Clarksville, Mississippi, in December 1977 — you’ll notice it’s the recipe used at Louisville’s own Pendennis Club, so it must have been authentic…