Author Topic: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?  (Read 30027 times)

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #50 on: December 02, 2007, 03:47:58 am »
     Well I dont think you want my thoughts placed here....yukkk.               :-X

That's OK Bud, it's understandable that some folks wouldn't have a taste for it.




OK, so I did a very quick web-search online and thought I'd post one of my search results here about the history of Egg Nog. At least this is a start... I'm sure there's much more to learn on the topic.
:)

This was copied from the following website: http://www.indepthinfo.com/eggnog/history.shtml
Quote
Eggnog! - History

Many believe that eggnog is a tradition that was brought to America from Europe. This is partially true. Eggnog is related to various milk and wine punches that had been concocted long ago in the "Old World". However, in America a new twist was put on the theme. Rum was used in the place of wine. In Colonial America, rum was commonly called "grog", so the name eggnog is likely derived from the very descriptive term for this drink, "egg-and-grog", which corrupted to egg'n'grog and soon to eggnog. At least this is one version...

Other experts would have it that the "nog" of eggnog comes from the word "noggin". A noggin was a small, wooden, carved mug. It was used to serve drinks at table in taverns (while drinks beside the fire were served in tankards). It is thought that eggnog started out as a mixture of Spanish "Sherry" and milk. The English called this concoction "Dry sack posset". It is very easy to see how an egg drink in a noggin could become eggnog.

The true story might be a mixture of the two and eggnog was originally called "egg and grog in a noggin". This was a term that required shortening if ever there was one.

With it's European roots and the availability of the ingredients, eggnog soon became a popular wintertime drink throughout Colonial America. It had much to recomend it; it was rich, spicy, and alcoholic.

In the 1820's Pierce Egan, a period author, wrote a book called "Life of London: or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and His Elegant Friend Corinthina Tom". To publicize his work Mr. Egan made up a variation of eggnog he called "Tom and Jerry". It added 1/2 oz of brandy to the basic recipe (fortifying it considerably and adding further to its popularity).

Eggnog, in the 1800s was nearly always made in large quantities and nearly always used as a social drink. It was commonly served at holiday parties and it was noted by an English visitor in 1866, "Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew egg nogg for all comers; everybody calls on everybody else; and each call is celebrated by a solemn egg-nogging...It is made cold and is drunk cold and is to be commended."

Of course, Christmas was not the only day upon which eggnog was popular. In Baltimore it was a tradition for young men to call upon all of their friends on New years day. At each of many homes the strapping fellows were offered a cup of eggnog, and so as they went they became more and more inebriated. It was quite a feat to actually finish one's rounds.

Our first President, George Washington, was quite a fan of eggnog and devised his own recipe that included rye whiskey, rum and sherry. It was reputed to be a stiff drink that only the most courageous were willing to try.

Eggnog is still a popular drink during the holidays, and its social character remains. It is hard to imagine a Christmas without a cup of the "nog" to spice up the atmosphere and lend merriment and joy to the procedings. When you try out some of the recipes on this site, remember that, like many other of our grand traditions, there is history and life behind that little frothy brew.

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Offline Penthesilea

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #51 on: December 02, 2007, 06:35:22 am »
Quote
In Colonial America, rum was commonly called "grog", so the name eggnog is likely derived from the very descriptive term for this drink, "egg-and-grog", which corrupted to egg'n'grog and soon to eggnog. At least this is one version...

Now that's interesting to me. In German, a Grog is either tea with - you guess it - rum in it, or simply hot water with rum (and sugar, if wanted).

Offline Kerry

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #52 on: December 02, 2007, 09:25:47 am »

When I was unwell as a child, my mother would give me an egg flip to drink, as a tonic. The ingredients were one raw egg, enough milk to fill a large tumbler, sugar to taste and a slurp of vanilla essence. All ingredients were blended briskly together. This was not a recreational treat like egg nog. It was viewed as a medicinal tonic to be taken when one was poorly. I recall slugging it down quickly, whilst holding my nose (the raw egg). It certainly didn't have good stuff in it like cream, cinnamon and brandy!  ;)  :D
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Offline David

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #53 on: December 02, 2007, 09:44:50 am »
Yummm!    I Love egg nog!      :D




GOT MILK?   GOT EGG NOG? 

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #54 on: December 02, 2007, 01:19:24 pm »
Yummm!    I Love egg nog!      :D



That's nice Bud!

So, Nutmeg Guy... do you like nutmeg in your egg nog?  ;D


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Offline serious crayons

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #55 on: December 02, 2007, 02:37:44 pm »
So, for those of use who like our egg nog spiked... maybe we really should discuss the best liquor to compliment it.
I've tried brandy, whiskey and rum.

I always used brandy until my husband introduced me to rum, and now I think I slightly prefer that because it interferes less with the flavor of the eggnog. Whiskey doesn't sound as good to me, because that seems like it would clash even more with normal eggnog flavor.

But I think it's a good idea to get a bunch of those little bottles and try different things. Other possibilities: vodka, kaluha, amaretto, tequilla (OK, just kidding about tequilla) ...

The one thing that doesn't sound good as wine, which your history said was in the original milky mixture.

BTW, indepthinfo.com looks like a very useful site in general!




Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #56 on: December 02, 2007, 03:52:54 pm »
I always used brandy until my husband introduced me to rum, and now I think I slightly prefer that because it interferes less with the flavor of the eggnog. Whiskey doesn't sound as good to me, because that seems like it would clash even more with normal eggnog flavor.

But I think it's a good idea to get a bunch of those little bottles and try different things. Other possibilities: vodka, kaluha, amaretto, tequilla (OK, just kidding about tequilla) ...

The one thing that doesn't sound good as wine, which your history said was in the original milky mixture.

BTW, indepthinfo.com looks like a very useful site in general!


Kaluha and amaretto sound pretty good... but vodka and tequila sound pretty bad (although maybe vanilla vodka would be OK).  The only form of wine I can imagine mixing with egg nog would be sherry or some other fortified/ sweet wine (and it looks like the history suggests that sherry did play a role in the development of egg nog).


And,yeah! I just discovered the indepthinfo website while doing this egg nog search.  I'd never encountered it before.  It does seem like it might be a good resource in general.  I'll have to explore it some more.


the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #57 on: December 02, 2007, 05:14:59 pm »

Hey Buds,

By popular demand, I started a new poll here in the Holidays forum about hot beverages!
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php/topic,15346.msg296173.html#msg296173






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Offline Meryl

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #58 on: December 03, 2007, 09:48:45 pm »
Thanks for starting the poll, Amanda!  You've certainly hit on a popular subject with holiday hot drinks.  Can cold drinks be far behind?  ;)

Speaking of which, I used to enjoy getting the eggnog milkshake at McDonald's every holiday season.  I haven't been in a McDonald's for awhile, though. Anybody know if they're still offering it?
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Offline serious crayons

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Re: What Are Your Thoughts on Egg Nog?
« Reply #59 on: December 04, 2007, 12:20:42 am »
Can't say for sure about McDonald's. But that reminds me of how when I lived in New Orleans we used to get eggnog daiquiris. In N.O., you can get daiquiris to go and then walk around the streets with them (heck, you can get them at a drive-thru window!). So it was fun now and then to walk around the French Quarter, drinking an eggnog daiquiri and doing your Christmas shopping. Sure took the edge off the holiday shopping hassles!