Homemade Aged Eggnog – A Decadent Creamy & Boozzy Yule Beverage

For many eggnog is a holiday staple. A rich and creamy beverage that tastes like Christmas spirit. Others find it disgusting. I think it’s about finding the right eggnog to make it worth drinking.

As the weather gets colder the refrigerated section of the grocery store begins to boast festively decorated cartons of thick syrupy sweet eggnog. Growing up various cartons found a way into my parents fridge, and I tried it dutifully. Despite possessing a ravenous sweet-tooth I was never a big fan of the festive beverage. That is until I tried making  Alton Brown‘s Aged Eggnog.

My partner and I decided to try the recipe for a Yule party in addition to our Wassail (recipe coming soon) nearly a decade ago and it has been a holiday staple ever since. The rich texture is accompanied by complex flavors with enough alcohol to give you a good buzz while the aging eases the bite from the alcohol.

This eggnog recipe offers plenty of flexibility,

• Too sweet
  • Cut the sugar to as little as 1 cup
• Want it sweeter
  • Up to half a cup more sugar
• Can’t have much sugar
  • Substitute part of the sugar for your prefered alternative
    • Stick to one that has a granulated texture & offers one-to-one substitution for best results
• You like a thinner or thicker texture
  • adjust the ratios of milk- half & half -cream.
• No brandy?
  • Just add more Rum or bourbon.
• Don’t like Bourbon
  • Stick to Rum.

Aged Eggnog – Alcoholic

Creamy holiday beverage packs an alcoholic punch and is a real crowd pleaser. While it is delicious made fresh the flavor gets better the longer its aged. It can be aged for as little as 2 weeks or as much as a year. I try to mix-up a batch between Halloween and thanksgiving to give it time to age before I bring it to yule parties.

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Equipment

• Glass storage containers
• Large bowl
• Wisk
• Optional Funnel

Ingredients

  

• 12 egg yolks
• 1 pound sugar ≈2-2¼ cups
• 1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt kosher
• 1 quart half and half 4 cups
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 cup Jamaican Rum Cruzan
• 1 cup bourbon (Don’t go cheap mid-shelf is fine though)

Instructions

 

• Beat the yolks with the sugar and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl until the mixture lightens in color and falls off the whisk in a solid “ribbon.”
• Combine dairy, booze and salt in a second bowl or pitcher and then slowly beat into the egg mixture.
• Move to a large glass jar (or a couple of smaller ones) and store in the fridge for a minimum of 2 weeks, or up to a year.

Notes

Cruzan is hands down my favorite rum for this recipe it adds a rich molasses note other Jamaican rums are easy substitutes you probably will need to go to a liquor store instead of the grocery to find it. If you don’t have or can’t find a Jamaican rum ½ cup Kraken & ½ cup Capt. Morgan spiced make a good substitute are easily accessible and still quite good.

This is adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown, while I love the original I’ve altered it to my own tastes, preferences, & budget. I love the molasses & brown sugar flavor from my favorite Jamaican rum & to get a creamier texture i have omitted milk in favor of more half and half for a mouth feel closer to most modern eggnogs.