Orange Spiced Eggnog Recipe | A Cup of Christmas Cheer (2024)

FAQs

What makes eggnog a Christmas drink? ›

In the 1700s, rum from the Caribbean was the American eggnog alcohol of choice. But it was scarce during the revolution, so it was traded out for moonshine. This might explain why it became associated with the Christmas season. It warmed up drinkers in the cold weather, and true eggnog called for expensive liquor.

Brandy: Makes the Most Traditional Eggnog

For the most traditional holiday experience, reach for brandy (specifically, Cognac) to spike your 'nog.

Eggnog is a sweet beverage with a serious edge. It is probably derived from “posset”—a concoction involving a combination of cream or milk, eggs, spices and ale or wine. Posset was believed to have medicinal properties: when King Charles I came down with a cold in the 1600s, his physician prescribed it.

It's sweet, rich, and very creamy. Think of a glass of custard or melted vanilla ice cream! But it also has a slightly spiced flavor thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg. It basically tastes like Christmas in a glass!

Choose The Right Spirit

While brandy is the most traditional alcohol to pair with eggnog, according to traditional recipes, you can also use a mixture of dark rum and Cognac. If you like your eggnog with more of a kick you can also add bourbon, but we recommend sticking to rum and Cognac to preserve the 'nog's flavors.

Most plants keep producing eggnog through New Year's, and start dumping their unsold product in January. Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn't need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don't because it's not cost-effective.

What Kind of Rum Goes Best with Eggnog? “I like something with a little bit more body and flavor than say, just like a silver [or white rum],” says Chamberlain. “Those are good, but I feel like you can bring more to the party—the party being eggnog.” That's why he prefers a spiced rum or an aged rum.

Though rare, there is the potential that eggnog will curdle when it's mixed with alcohol. That's typically due to too much acid interacting with the dairy.

When I think of eggnog, all that comes to mind is the Captain Morgan Eggnog because it'll help relieve the stress of shopping, the family gatherings and of course it will put you in the great holiday mood. Enjoy this classic eggnog holiday drink with rum to keep out the winter cold/blues.

Why can't you drink a lot of eggnog? ›

Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, no one would say that eggnog is a healthy drink. Even a small serving can pack significant amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. And then there's the fact that homemade eggnog made with raw eggs can be a food-poisoning risk.

From eggnog and wassail to the Tom and Jerry and poinsettia, these classic Christmas drinks are as inherent to holiday celebrations as decorating the tree and yummy baked treats. The recipes have stood the test of time and are sure to keep your season bright.

Canadian chef Heidi Fink states that one of the reasons people are making less homemade eggnog is that the beverage is expensive to make, due to its use of substantial quantities of cream, eggs, and spirits. Concerns about the safety of raw eggs may be another reason for the decline in homemade eggnog making.

Eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill bacteria such as Salmonella that may be present. If your eggnog recipe calls for raw eggs, it may not be safe. Adding alcohol inhibits bacterial growth, but it cannot be relied upon to kill bacteria.

Hood Golden Eggnog's blend of extra creamy milk, sugared yolks and spices make it a holiday favorite, whether you drink it straight from the glass or use it in your favorite recipes.

Thanks to the warm spices traditionally served on top (like nutmeg, cinnamon and sometimes even cloves or star anise), eggnog also often tastes slightly spicy and perfumed, like all the lovely holiday baking ingredients. The texture is thicker than a glass of whole milk, more akin to melted vanilla ice cream.

(What's the difference between eggnog and Holiday Nog? Eggnog must have a minimum 6 percent butterfat and a minimum 1 percent egg yolk by weight; Holiday Nog, which Spangler called a flavored milk product, has 2 percent butterfat and less than 1 percent egg yolk by weight.)

The drink's wintry spices, and the preference for serving it hot, made nog a Yuletide mainstay. As milk, eggs, sugar and rum became more affordable and abundant, eggnog became accessible to everyday Americans. Today, people around the world enjoy it, often putting regional spins on the recipe.

There's holiday nog made with milk and eggs but can't be called eggnog because of added booze, for example. Same goes for nog made of dairy alternatives, like almond or soy milk. But straight up milk and cream with no eggs—well, that's considered to be poor cousin of the real deal.