Ode to Eggnog

Imagine a chill December night, frost riming the grassy slopes leading down to the Hudson River in New York State. A young man with dark hair and haunted eyes removes his cadet jacket and slings it over the back of a colonial-era chair beside a small wooden table. He lights a fire, which begins casting a warm glow over his shared room in the barracks of the great stone fortress called West Point. It’s been a long, grueling day of training, and he felt well deserving of his just-finished supper in the mess hall.

But the cold night, twinkling with stars, calls for some additional comfort. His roommate arrives, and together they assemble everything needed for the favourite tipple of the institution, a smooth cup of Eggnog – eggs, which they separate into yolks and whites; fresh milk and its thick topping of cream; a cup’s worth of sugar from the Caribbean; a hearty portion of brandy and a smaller of rum from one of the nearby taverns; and a pinch of nutmeg from the spice isles to scent the entire concoction. 

First, the whites are whisked in a bowl. Then the yolks with the sugar, beaten until they’ve turned a pale creamy yellow. The milk is added to the yolks, along with the rich cream, then the alcohols. Finally, the stiff, pillowy whites are carefully folded in to create a gentle froth. The libation is poured into two glasses, with a final dusting of nutmeg to serve.

Edgar and his roommate pull their chairs near the fire and toast the heavenly goodness of their potent helpings of eggnog on such a wintry night.

During his time at the University of Virginia, followed by a stint at West Point Academy, a young Edgar Allan Poe discovered the delights of well-laced cups of the American version of a British libation. He became such a devotee that he struggled with alcoholism for much of his life.

If you’re turning up your nose at this point, may I speculate that you’ve never had real, home-made eggnog? It’s a very different animal from the overly-sweet thickened yellow stuff you can buy in grocery and convenience stores during the holiday season. I don’t mind the store-bought in a pinch, but I can only drink a small glass of it before my taste buds rebel. On the other hand, I can drink the real deal until the cows come home (thoughtfully bringing their rich creamy cargo with them in time for more eggnog).

Eggnog has an interesting history. Its closest relative was likely “posset”, an old British beverage made by boiling milk and then mixing it with wine or ale, which curdled it. Cinnamon or nutmeg were typically added to spice it up. By the 14th to 15th centuries, eggs, cream, sugar and citrus juices joined the concoction, making an indulgent beverage favoured by the wealthy. “Posset sets” were popular gifts and included a pot for mixing, cups and spoons for serving, and containers with the necessary ingredients. For the betrothal of Queen Mary I of England and King Philip II of Spain, the Spanish ambassador presented them with a lavish set made of gold, crystal and precious gems.

Posset pot, Netherlands, Late 17th or early 18th century, Tin-glazed earthenware painted in blue V&A Museum no. 3841-1901
By VAwebteam at English Wikipedia – http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/art-of-drinking/, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26201875

Milk, eggs and expensive spirits like sherry, brandy or Madeira wine were mainly foods of the wealthy, and eggnog was often used for toasting prosperity and good health.

During the 18th century the drink made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to the British colonies in North America, where brandy and wine were heavily taxed but rum from the Caribbean islands, made by slaves, was a readily-available and cheaper alternative. Farm and dairy products were abundant, and ‘eggnog’, no longer confined to wealthy households, became very popular. When the American Revolution curtailed the supply of rum to the newly-founded independent country, Americans turned to domestic whiskey, and particularly bourbon. In places where even bourbon was too expensive, homemade moonshine was used. Along the way, eggnog became associated with the holidays, and remains so to this day for many people.

The beverage, tweaked for colonial tastes, became known as “eggnog” in America in the 18th century, possibly a kind of portmanteau word derived from two colonial slang words—‘grog’, i.e. rum, which was served by bartenders in small wooden mugs called ‘noggins’.

In 1775, the first mention of the term “eggnog” showed up a clergyman and philologist in Maryland devotedly wrote a poem about it:

“Fog-drams i’ th’ morn, or (better still) egg-nogg,

At night hot-suppings, and at mid-day, grogg,

My palate can regale.”

The first US president, George Washington, served an eggnog-like drink to visitors that included “one quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry”, and an unspecified number of eggs. Modern chefs estimate approximately one dozen. The recipe instructed cooks to use the same technique that Edgar Allan Poe and other cadets used (as outlined above), then to let it set in a cool place for several days.

Reputed recipe from George Washington’s kitchen

Here in Canada we’re able to make eggnog according to the traditional method, with raw eggs. In the U.S. cooks have to deal with possible salmonella contamination in their eggs, so they typically make a kind of heated custard with the yolks and milk to kill off any bacteria. I’ve never tried the American method, so I can’t speak to how well it matches the original.

I grew up in an eggnog-loving home. Both of my parents were nurses, and emigrated from Europe, where eggnog was used to nourish patients suffering from a variety of ailments. In the 19th century, since eggs contain proteins, fats, and essential vitamins, doctors felt that eggnog was an ideal way to deliver prescriptions and nutrients for those on liquid diets, or patients recovering from surgery or serious illnesses like typhoid fever, dysentery, diphtheria and tuberculosis. “Warming spices,” like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cayenne could provide relief from stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea and flatulence. A tablespoonful of brandy, port wine or whisky added didn’t hurt either.

Hospital diet manuals, such as this 1941 edition supplied by the U.S. army’s Fitzsimons General Hospital,  regularly included instructions on nutritional eggnog supplements.

screenshot, Fitzsimons General Hospital Diet Manual, 1941

My tonsils deteriorated at an early age, so as a child I picked up every virus going around, and I have fond memories of being given delicious glasses of eggnog to help me regain my health. It was such a hardship to quaff down rich, creamy glasses of the stuff (without alcohol) as often as my mom was willing to make them.

At West Point in the 1800s, when Edgar Allan Poe was in residence, it was something of a badge of honour for students to wind up in the Hospital. It showed their ‘fortitude under duress’, and, along with the opportunity to rest from the punishing daily schedule, convalescents ate very well at the hands of a famous French chef named Vatel, including liberal eggnog treatments.

Small wonder, then, that the cadets developed a deep passion for the beverage, to the point where restrictions under a very strict disciplinarian, Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, led to a riot that made the history books.

Too many prohibitions for a group of people (in this case, things like no cooking in the barracks, no dueling, and stark rations of beef, bread and water) invariably lead to a revolt, and after a boisterous Fourth of July celebration in 1826, alcohol was banned as well.

Cadets began sneaking out to the two local taverns, North Tavern and Benny Havens (which was the young Poe’s favourite venue). Benny Havens even allowed hard-up students to barter shoes and blankets for liquor. Future Confederate president Jefferson Davis got arrested regularly for leaving his post to go drinking.

Screenshot of Benny Havens Tavern, Hudson Valley Tavern Trail, http://www.taverntrail.com/hudson-valley-tavern-trail.html

When a group of his friends suggested they thumb their nose at the superintendent’s new law and throw a Christmas Eve party, Davis was in like a dirty uniform shirt. Their beverage of choice was inevitable: eggnog.

Four sets of students left their posts to get supplies: a gallon of brandy and a gallon of wine, additional liquor just in case, and eggs, milk, and nutmeg. Mutton was smuggled in from Benny Havens for party food.

The party began around midnight, starting in one dorm room and gradually increasing in size. Two hours later, Jefferson Davis and others were heard singing loudly. Another student tried to quiet them down, but by four a.m. the ruckus could be heard through the floorboards and a faculty member, one Captain Ethan Allen Hitchcock, went to investigate.

Davis tried to warn the other thirteen partyers, but it was too late. Davis and others were literally read the Riot Act, then placed under arrest and ordered to their rooms. However, Hitchcock made the mistake of assuming they’d stay put.

After he left, the cadets worked themselves into a lather and decided to hunt him down and harass him. For the next two hours the faculty and a few sober students chased the partyers and those who drunkenly joined them around the grounds. Windows and furniture were broken, swords were brandished and shots fired, a drum and fifes were hijacked, and a lieutenant was knocked out. The six a.m. reveille was chaos. Most of the cadets ended up making it to roll call, where twenty-three were arrested and nineteen expelled.

In an interesting turn of events, Jefferson Davis missed everything. He’d stumbled to his room, vomited and passed out. He was allowed to remain at West Point, but graduated in the bottom third of his class. Nevertheless, his rather memorable time at the academy instilled a long-lasting hatred for ‘Yankees’, which reached a boiling point during the Civil War.

Eggnog premade and sold in cartons first appeared in supermarkets in the late 1930s. By the 1950s it was a common sight in refrigerated holiday aisles. Today, Canadians drink around eight million litres of eggnog during the Christmas season.

Commercial eggnog, surprisingly, does contain actual egg, in the form of frozen yolks. In Canada, a product can’t be called “eggnog” unless it contains egg in some format. Modern commercial eggnog manufacturers then add gelatin (not a vegetarian or vegan product, by the way) and other thickeners, which allows them to lower costs by using less egg and cream to produce a properly thick beverage.

Ingredients that are typically included include milk, sugar, modified milk ingredients, glucose-fructose, water, carrageenan, guar gum, natural and artificial flavourings, spices, monoglycerides, and colourings. Glucose-fructose syrup is a nutritionless sweetener that’s actually toxic to our bodies (i.e. avoid it like the plague), while carrageenan (made from seaweed, can cause intestinal inflammation) and guar gum are the usual thickeners.

Many well-known people have expressed their opinion about eggnog. Canadian chef Heidi Fink likes homemade eggnog but criticizes the “slimy glop you can buy in supermarkets”. The Guardian writer Andrew Shanahan said that eggnog “lurches around the glass like partially-sentient sludge”, so I’m guessing he doesn’t like it in any form. On the other hand, writer Tristan Stephenson for TIME magazine thinks it ticks “every single one of the guilt/pleasure boxes”. Although traditional eggnog is far from low-calorie, The New Yorker writer Carmen Maria Machado feels that its “decadence should not be considered sinful; indeed, it is one of those foods whose low-fat variations I believe to be a kind of crime.”

Should you like to give traditional eggnog a try on one of these cold, wintry nights, you can always give Edgar Allan Poe’s recipe a try:

7 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
5 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups brandy
1/4 cup rum
Nutmeg

In a medium bowl combine egg yolks and sugar, whisking until thick and pale. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a small saucepan, warm 3 cups milk over low heat. Whisk 1 cup of warm milk into yolk mixture. Add this back to the milk in the pan, stirring over low heat until combined and thickened. Remove from heat and quickly stir in cream.

Place saucepan in prepared ice bath. Stir occasionally until chilled, then add brandy, rum, and remaining 2 cups milk.

Pour eggnog into glasses. In a medium bowl with a handheld mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Spoon egg whites over eggnog, and top with grated nutmeg.

Source: A Second Helping of Murder: Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers

Author notes:

Use an electric mixer.Poe’s recipe is similar to the one my family has used, but we don’t heat the milk and cream. We also fold the whipped whites into the whole thing with a soft touch to preserve some of their fluff.It’s essential to beat the yolks and sugar together for a couple of minutes until they meld into a thick, velvety, pale yellow cream – that’s what gives proper eggnog its unique flavour.Make sure to add the whipped egg whites: they lighten the finished beverage and provide a slightly-frothy, festive mouth feel.My favourite alcoholic addition is bourbon, which has a caramelly undertone that builds on the other ingredients. Brandy, rum and Irish whiskey are good too. Gin would be god-awful; vodka would be pointlessly bland.Serve immediately at room temp, or chill a bit if preferred or if prepping some of it ahead of time.If making for children or anyone who can’t have or doesn’t want alcohol, that can be added separately glass by glass.You may see some recipes that call for vanilla ice-cream. This is definitely not traditional, and personally I think it makes the eggnog too sweet.DO NOT add ice cubes.

Happy nogging, and a very Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

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