I first learned about Egg Nog from my dad. Even though he’s a huge wine geek he took particular delight in making Egg Nog every holiday season. Usually it showed up on New Year’s Eve and, as I approached drinking age, I began to sneak larger and larger samples every year. This recipe relies on a few key factors from his original concoction: separated eggs, a blend of spirits, and more nutmeg than you’d think is necessary. To this, I’ve added a healthy slug of richly-flavorful dark maple syrup (sometimes called “Grade B” or maddeningly “Grade A Dark Amber”). Maple is a great sugar to work with in drinks because unlike honey or agave that need to be pre-diluted in order to integrate, it dissolves readily in drinks and provides a cozy depth that’s perfect for cold-weather drinks like these. (I mean you could make this for your next beach day, but I can think of few things less appetizing than Egg Nog on a hot day…)
I will admit that there are some daunting aspects to this recipe. Most people feel wary of using raw eggs and the CDC estimates that 1 in 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella. If you don’t want to take on that risk, there are tons of recipes out there for Egg Nog that feature pasteurized egg products, or avoid them altogether. Also, this recipe calls for a ton of different spirits, and these are my favorites to use, but I am empowering you to play around with other brown spirits like añejo tequila, Scotch, and even adjust the total amount to suit your needs and preferences.
—John deBary
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