Age your eggnog for a mellower New Year’s toast
This is one of those recipes that seem a little improbable and a touch scary, but if you’re feeling bold and adventurous this holiday season, it’s worth a go.
Simply combine a bunch of booze, egg yolks, spices, sugar and dairy, and then let it sit for weeks — even months. If you’re brave, you will be rewarded with a rich, mellow, boozy eggnog for parties and gifts.
This homemade, ultra-aged version is very different from what you will find on supermarket shelves this time of year, which is really closer to a sweetened, spiced milk.
Versions of eggnog have been around for hundreds of years. It was a signature drink of the British medieval elite, as eggs and sugar were ingredients found in wealthy kitchens. The drink jumped the pond during Colonial times when farmers with cows, chickens and access to inexpensive rum would make this for yuletide toasts to a prosperous new year. George Washington even had his own recipe, calling for cream, milk, sugar, rum, sherry and an unspecified amount of eggs.
This recipe is from Alton Brown, so the science is there. If you keep the mixture at 20% alcohol, as his recipe does, you are not in danger of any illnesses occurring from the raw eggs and superaged dairy. (So don’t reduce the alcohol in this recipe.) If you’re still nervous, seek out pasteurized eggs.
You can drink this immediately, but Brown (and I) recommend waiting at least two weeks — and the longer, the better.
Brown aims for four to six months, but we’ve sort of missed that boat (at least until next year; make sure you add a note in June to start 2019’s batch of holiday nog).
While I just started my batch two weeks ago (and it is now a touch smoother than when I first made it), my friend has been experimenting with this recipe for a few seasons. She prefers it at four months, as the flavors meld and mellow, and she thinks a spiced rum adds a lot of character.
If you mix this up now, you will be set for a grand New Year’s celebration. Or, bottle it up and hand it out as gifts. Your friends, family and neighbors will be This recipe is very lightly adapted from Alton Brown’s Aged Eggnog recipe on
While you can play with the types of spirits and spices in this recipe, the total alcohol by volume must be kept at 20% to ensure food safety.
You can drink it immediately, but I recommend aging it at least two weeks or ideally a few months. Freshly grated nutmeg makes for a more flavorful nog than the already ground spice.
1 pound granulated sugar
1 pint half-and-half cream
1 pint whole milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup dark spiced rum
1 cup bourbon
1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Beat until light and the mixture falls off the beater or whisk in a ribbon.
In a separate bowl, stir together half-and-half, milk, cream, rum, brandy, bourbon, spices and salt. Add to egg yolk-sugar mixture and beat until well-combined.
Transfer to 1 large (or several smaller) clean glass jars and refrigerate two weeks to six months.
You can drink it sooner or wait even longer; it’s up to you. happy they know you when they dive into this rich, spicy cocktail on a dreary February evening.