There has been a request for a cocktail of the week with more of a holiday spirit... dare I say Christmas spirit? None of you will get all bent out of shape by the mention of the actual reason we are having a holiday next week? If the use of the word Christmas offends you, I do have an alternative link which may or may not be "safe for work" depending on where you work that includes no holiday cheer. It does include some guy's rantings on why Christmas is bad I guess, I didn't read it to be honest.

So what have I got for the ones still standing here, empty cups in hand? Cheer! Christmas cheer for all in the form of thick, creamy egg nog.

Follow up:

Par for the course of the barely documented progression of mankind on this planet, the origins of eggnog are unclear. Eggnog may have originated in England, though it may also have been developed from a medieval European beverage made with hot milk. A noggin is a Middle English term used to describe a wooden mug used to serve alcohol. Another possibility is that eggnog was derived from the name "egg-and-grog", a common Colonial term used to describe rum. Eventually the term was shortened to "egg'n'grog", then "eggnog". Believe what ye will!

"The ingredients for the drink were too expensive and uncommon for the lower classes, but it was popular among the aristocracy", says wikipedia. This is nearly a superfluous statement - does anyone really believe that lower class impoverished people in the middle ages were carrying on about cocktails of any sort? Of course not! Connoisseurs of cocktails of any kind are the cream of society I say. Furthermore, milk and eggs are perishable commodities. In a time without refrigeration, an easy solution to preservation is always alcohol. "You have to remember, the average Londoner rarely saw a glass of milk," says author and historian James Humes (To Humes It May Concern, July 1997). "There was no refrigeration, and the farms belonged to the big estates. Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with brandy or Madeira or even sherry." Well, refrigeration or not, adding alcohol to anything nearly always improves it and I'm a strong proponent of improving my lot in life.

So, egg, milk, and liquor is it. But in what proportions? Just how do you craft the perfect nog?

1. Take an egg and carefully separate the white from the yolk. Beat the yolk (lightly!) then beat the white (thoroughly, since you want it stiff).
2. To the yolk beat in slowly:
   • 1 tbl sugar
   • 1/4 cup cream (or 1/2&1/2 or whole milk)
   • 1/4 cup rum (or brandy or bourbon)
3. Fold the whipped egg white into the rest

Sprinkle with some grated nutmeg, drink, and enjoy!

I find it curious that with the year coming to a close and taxes on our minds (or soon to be), that taxation was the primary driver for just which liquor was incorporated into the nog recipe. When the drink was imported to America, brandy was heavily taxed but rum was not, so the nog was made with rum. Later, when rum was in short supply and more expensive, bourbon became the nog mixer of choice. Quite obviously, whiskey, rum, or bourbon now is just a personal choice since all are taxed equally onerously. In New Jersey, distributors pay a liquor tax of $5.50 per gallon, up 25% from last year. Thanks, New Jersey. That sure helps to spread holiday cheer when times are tough.