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Eggnog Month
"When wine and beer, punch and eggnog meet, instantly ensues a quarrel."
~ Philadelphia's Independent Gazetteer, 1788
You wouldn't think that eggnog would incite one to riot, but history says otherwise! This holiday beverage was responsible for the “Great Eggnog Riot” of Christmas Eve, 1826, which took place at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point! With drinking out of control at the academy, all alcohol was banned on campus prior to Christmas, leading the thirsty and rebellious cadets to smuggle in gallons of their own whiskey and whip up a potent batch of eggnog. The drunken cadets went quickly from an attitude of good cheer to completely destroying their barracks, and one even tried to shoot his commanding officer! Twenty cadets and one enlisted soldier were court-martialed for conduct unbecoming and general eggnoggery! Whether the cadets bothered to add a bit of ground nutmeg to their recipe before things went askew has not been recorded. Today might be the day to whip up a batch of eggnog as many prefer to age their eggnog for the perfect mellowness with classic additions of sweet of rum, bourbon, and cognac! This tartan has all the colour ingredients and sett proportions of a classic eggnog recipe: a preponderance of cream, separated eggs, dark and sweet liquor, ground cinnamon and spices, and just the smallest grating of fresh nutmeg on top! This Christmas season, be mindful of your guests, should your eggnog be of the heavily spiked variety! Eggnog Season Cheers! 🥃 🥚 🥃
Eggnog, historically also known (when alcoholic) as milk punch or egg milk punch, is a rich, chilled, sweetened, creamy dairy-based beverage traditionally made with milk and/or cream, sugar, whipped eggs (which gives it a frothy texture) and distilled spirits such as brandy, rum or bourbon. The finished serving is often garnished with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
These flavour colours are reflected in Carol A.L. Martin's tartan design for a creamy representation.
Eggnog is traditionally consumed throughout Canada and the United States at Christmas every year, often from American Thanksgiving through the end of the Christmas season.
Eggnog may have developed from posset, a medieval European beverage made with hot milk that was curdled with wine or ale and flavoured with spices. In the Middle Ages, posset was used as a cold and flu remedy and remained a popular remedy throughout the 19th century.
Regional eggnog variations exist in terms of the flavourings for spices and the alcoholic base.
Some 19th century American eggnog recipes called for significant amounts of alcohol: one recipe calls for "three dozen eggs, half a gallon of domestic brandy, and another half-pint of French brandy." The high alcohol content of this type of colonial eggnog inevitably led to problems. In 19th-century Baltimore, it was a custom for young men of the town to go from house to house on New Year’s Day, toasting their hosts in eggnog along the way. The challenge: to finish one’s rounds still standing.
More recent concerns about the use of raw eggs in traditional recipes can be alleviated by heating the eggs slightly before addition.
For a fancy recipe for aged eggnog, using rum, cognac, and bourbon, click the eggnog!
Cheers!