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Unlike widely beloved winter beverages like hot chocolate or hot apple cider, there are few holiday treats quite as polarizing as eggnog.
“I don’t know when I first had eggnog, but when I did, it just began a romance,” ’nog fan Joe Alessi of West Long Branch, New Jersey, told The Post. “I like the fact that it’s creamy. Obviously, when I was a kid, there was no alcohol in it, but (later) I experimented with that … It’s got to have that kick.”
“I’m as festive as the next person — sign me up for cocoa or mulled cider all day — but there’s something so offensive to me about the viscosity of eggnog,” Brooklynite and ’nog foe Sienna Sullivan countered to The Post. “Plus, there’s something so unsettling about eggs in a beverage — the same reason you’d never catch me with a whiskey sour or gin fizz.”
Defined by Christmas Central as “a traditional drink made from cream or milk, eggs and sugar,” eggnog dates back to around the 19th century (though it’s likely been around much longer) and was referenced by a British White House correspondent in 1815, who wrote that President James Madison’s guests were served “egg-nog” at a gathering.
The custard-like drink is typically served chilled, though it can be heated, and is often flavored with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or star anise, a sweet spice native to China and Vietnam. Store-bought versions are also available around the holidays in grocery stores, though those lean on the thinner side.
Alcoholic versions of the drink — which are particularly popular at hoppin’ holiday parties and bougie bars alike — are traditionally spiked with spirits such as dark or spiced rum, brandy, bourbon or whiskey.
Death & Co, a popular cocktail bar in Manhattan’s East Village, is famous for its bestselling Vintage Eggnog, which is made with a bountiful blend of boozes including bourbon, Jamaican rum, Docé Madeira and cognac. The venue recently posted on Instagram to remind followers that the season for the lauded wintry cocktail is officially here, garnering more than 1,700 likes.
“One of my favorite things about working at Death & Co during the holidays is the number of guests I meet that express how stopping by for a glass of Vintage Eggnog has become part of their holiday tradition,” head bartender Seth Hiravy told The Post. “I recently had a guest tell me they extended their layover back to Germany, just so they had the time to swing by and grab a glass before heading straight back to the airport!”
While eggnog is a Christmastime fan favorite for many, a not-so-new beverage has been making its way further into the public culinary consciousness.
“Coquito — a traditional creamy Puerto Rican holiday drink that is eggnog-like in texture but prepared with coconut milk (sans eggs) — has likely been around since the 1900s, according to the Florida Dairy Farmers’ “milk blog.” In recent years, it has blown up on TikTok beyond the Puerto Rican community and currently rings in at upward of 61,600 posts.
The cold beverage, which uses several of the same spices as eggnog, is traditionally served on Noche Buena — the night before Christmas — though many enjoy it season-round.
Nikki Marie, a proud Cuban-American based in NYC who makes her own coquito but also enjoys eggnog, shared that “of course” she sees the two beverages as worthy rivals.
“It’s similar, but it’s different, right?” Marie told The Post. “Coquito has a longstanding tradition with the Hispanic and Latin communities. So, to us, it really represents tradition in our countries … We all put our own spin in it, and that’s what makes it special.”
Marie, who was born in the United States and has a family that is “very Americanized, despite the fact that they’re Hispanic,” finds the viral debate over whether eggnog or coquito is better to be “interesting.”
“There’ve been all these comments, ‘Don’t colonize coquito, leave coquito alone,” said Marie. “But it doesn’t have to be that, right? We don’t have to ascribe politics to every single thing we do. I think it’s important that we embrace traditions, but also that we share traditions and learn new things.”
Death & Co Vintage Eggnog recipe
This version was created in 2014 by Tyson Buhler, D&C’s current vice president of operations and former head bartender. It makes a whopping, party-ready 100 drinks.
Ingredients:
- 152 oz. (4,500 mL) Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon
- 76 oz. (2,250 mL) Smith and Cross Jamaican Rum
- 76 oz. (2,250 mL) H&H Docé Madeira
- 76 oz. (2,250 mL) Martell VS Cognac
- 300 oz. (8,000 grams) white granulated sugar
- 200 eggs (11,000 grams)
- 600 oz. (18,330 grams) whole milk
- 400 oz. (11,665 grams) heavy cream
Directions:
1. Working in batches, blend sugar and milk until dissolved.
2. Working in batches, blend eggs and milk on very low speed until incorporated.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and stir well.
4. Place into new/clean quart containers or into glass bottles for long-term storage.
5. Age anywhere from two weeks to two years.
