Exclusive | Eggnog: Vintage classic — or outdated…
Unlike widely beloved winter drinks like sizzling chocolate or sizzling apple cider, there are few vacation treats fairly 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.”
Eggnog is one of the more controversial vacation drinks. Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Joe Alessi of West Long Branch, New Jersey, enjoys a glass of eggnog. Courtesy Joe Alessi
“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 nineteenth century (though it’s possible been around for much longer) and was referenced by a British White House correspondent in 1815, who wrote that President James Madison’s friends had been served “egg-nog” at a gathering.
The custard-like drink is usually served chilled, though it may be heated, and is often flavored with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or star anise, a candy spice native to China and Vietnam. Store-bought variations are also obtainable around the vacations in grocery shops, though those lean on the thinner aspect.
liquoric variations of the drink — that are significantly standard at hoppin’ vacation events and bougie bars alike — are historically spiked with spirits such as darkish or spiced rum, brandy, bourbon or whiskey.
Death & Co, a standard cocktail bar in Manhattan’s East Village, is legendary for its bestselling Vintage Eggnog, which is made with a bountiful mix of boozes including bourbon, Jamaican rum, Docé Madeira and cognac. The venue lately posted on Instagram to remind followers that the season for the lauded wintry cocktail is formally right here, garnering more than 1,700 likes.
A Death & Co bartender pours the bar’s well-known, creamy concoction. Olga Ginzburg for the N.Y. Post
“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 favourite for many, a not-so-new beverage has been making its manner additional 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 latest years, it has blown up on TikTok past the Puerto Rican neighborhood and presently rings in at upward of 61,600 posts.
The cold beverage, which makes use of a number of of the same spices as eggnog, is historically served on Noche Buena — the night time before Christmas — though many get pleasure from it season-round.
Eggnog may be served with or without alcohol. julie208 – stock.adobe.com
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 2 drinks 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 household that is “very Americanized, despite the fact that they’re Hispanic,” finds the viral debate over whether or not 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.”
Nikki Marie of NYC enjoys a glass of do-it-yourself coquito. Courtesy Nikki Marie
Nikki’s ingredients to make coquito embody coconut milk, ginger, cinnamon and star anise. Courtesy Nikki Marie
Death & Co Vintage Eggnog recipe
This model 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.
Customers at Death & Co ask for the Vintage Eggnog year-round. Olga Ginzburg for the N.Y. Post
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) complete milk
400 oz. (11,665 grams) heavy cream
Directions:
1. Working in batches, mix sugar and milk until dissolved.
2. Working in batches, mix eggs and milk on very low velocity until integrated.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and stir nicely.
4. Place into new/clean quart containers or into glass bottles for long-term storage.
5. Age wherever from two weeks to two years.
Stay in the loop with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest lifestyle news and content, thoughtfully curated to inspire and inform you.
