Fermenting the holiday spirits

Simple, traditional and innovative eggnog recipes

By Noelene Clark
Daily Texan Staff

George Washington bragged that only the most courageous men could drink his eggnog. It was a stiff drink — his mixture included rye whiskey, sherry and rum — and he was very fond of his holiday grog.

The American tradition of mixing holiday cheer with booze in a smooth, foamy concoction of whipped egg, milk, cream, sugar and spice didn’t begin with the country’s first president.

The holiday drinking ritual dates back to around 300 A.D. when the Roman Catholic Church first merged Christian and pagan traditions in what is now known as Christmas. The spirits served during winter solstice festivities were suddenly used in celebrating Christ’s birth.

The tradition of drunken Christmas revelry fermented in the 17th century. Each year’s brew of wine and beer became ready to drink around Christmas. The best game was also caught during these winter months, and because it needed to be salted and saved, Christmas was about the only time fresh meat was available. It was a luxurious commodity only the rich could afford.

It became customary for a community’s young men to go “wassailing” on New Years Day. They visited the houses of their family, friends and the town’s elite, receiving at each abode a bit of meat and an alcoholic drink. The wealthy benefactors were obliged to share their bounty in order to win the loyalty of the lower class and preserve the social structure, so the young men sang and made merry, becoming more and more inebriated after each visit. The man who completed his holiday rounds was revered by his intoxicated peers.

In this precursor to Christmas caroling, the drink most often served was the Tom and Jerry — a frothy potion made from egg, milk, brandy and spices. The creamy brew derived its name from a mixed drink in Pierce Egan’s 1821 night-life guide “Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom.”

Egan, a journalist who wrote about sports and pop culture, was one of the first people to write about the London low life. His book chronicles the carousing of London’s rich, young Regency men, who were infamous for breaking windows, tormenting people on the street and overall roguish behavior. The book and its namesake drink became so popular that “Tom and Jerry” became slang for a low beer hall or for generally riotous behavior.

(In the early 1930s, Van Beuren Studios adopted Tom and Jerry as the names for a Laurel and Hardy-type cartoon duo. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cat-and-mouse tomfoolery began in the ‘40s, and in 1957, high school mates Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel also claimed the names, performing together as Tom and Jerry on “American Bandstand.”)

Except for holiday wassailing, the drink was confined to the upper class in England; poor Londonfolk could rarely afford milk. In America, however, farms and dairies were plentiful, and the drink gained popularity and a new name — eggnog.

The word “noggin” was used in 1500s Europe to denote a small, carved wooden drinking vessel, and the word “grog,” often used in Australia, typically denoted a rum-and-water drink. “Egg and grog in a noggin” was a mouthful, and the name was shortened.

(Variations on the term “grog” include “grog-blossom,” a redness or pimple on the nose caused by excessive drinking and “seven-water grog,” which sailors contemptuously called a particularly weak drink.)

Now gourmet eggnog is sold in liquor stores, ready to spike, for around $6 a bottle. But for those who would have been poor young wassailers, it’s easy to make the tipsy milkshake for about half that price.

Quick Ice Cream Eggnog

Ingredients:
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 1 pint milk
• 2 oz. rum
• 2 oz. brandy
• 4 oz. whiskey
• Grated nutmeg

Directions:
Put ice cream in room temperature and allow to soften. Then blend the ice cream, alcohol and milk in a mixer. Pour into individual cups and top with grated nutmeg.

Traditional Tom and Jerry

Ingredients:
• 3 eggs, separated
• 3 tbsp of powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp of ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of cloves
• 3 oz. of brandy
• 6 oz. of dark rum
• 3 1/4 cups of hot milk
• Grated nutmeg

Directions:
Beat egg whites to a stiff froth. Separately beat egg yolks until they are light in color, gradually adding powdered sugar and spices. Fold yolk mixture into whites.

Divide mixture between four 8 oz. mugs. Add 1/2 shot of brandy and 1 shot of rum to each mug. Fill with hot milk. Stir well, and top with nutmeg.

Bell’s Milk Punch (For people who don’t like nog)

Ingredients:
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 2 oz. of rum
• 2 oz. of brandy
• 2 cups of milk
• 6-8 ice cubes

Directions:
Break eggs in a bowl, add sugar gradually, and beat well. Add whisky and milk, stirring thoroughly. Blend. Serve in chilled julip cup with nutmeg garnish. Single serving.

—Henry Bell family, UT Alumni. Submitted by Anna Shoemaker, UT art history senior, and Lucinda Kittrell.

Eggnog with soda
Because this recipe includes raw eggs, be sure to purchase the best quality eggs to avoid salmonella.

Ingredients:
• 12 eggs, separated
• a dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 quart of chilled whipping cream
• 1 quart of milk
• 1 bottle of chilled ginger ale (optional)
• 1 large bottle of rum
• ground nutmeg for garnish

Directions:
Beat egg whites with a dash of salt until they form stiff peaks, then gradually beat in 1/3 of the sugar.
In another bowl, beat the chilled whipping cream until stiff.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolk until thick and light; gradually beat in the remaining sugar and add the milk.

Stir chilled ginger ale and rum into the yolk mixture. Fold in the whipping cream and beaten egg whites. Pour the mixture into a chilled punchbowl, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Enjoy.

—Sandy Ewen, Daily Texan Staf

page two | music | cinema | food | arts | listings