Slightly Aged Eggnog

I started making scratch eggnog a few years ago and fell in love. I have tried a few different recipes and have enjoyed them, but decided to come up with a new edition after analyzing the ingredients in several top recipes (see spreadsheet). Most of the other family members are not eggnog fans (yet) so for now there is more for me! My method is based mostly off of the one found on www.thekitchn.com and they describe the benefits of aging your nog for a few days or longer pretty well. They also stick with the basics as far as ingredients. So let's do it! By the way, it does not have any pineapple or tangerine in it, those were just festive staging touches.

Step 1: Getting Ready

Get the ingredients that you will need together: what's great is they are mostly staples that you may already have. As you can see, this is the bottom shelf, slightly lighter version. Feel free to class it up with high end bourbon, richer cream, etc. I want mine to fit into two 750 ml bottles so that is how I chose my amounts.

6 eggs - separated
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup bourbon

Step 2: Mix It Up

Add the egg yolks to a bowl and combine with sugar using a whisk until fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Reserve the egg whites in a separate jar until serving.

Add in milk and cream and whisk to dissolve the sugar.

Lastly, add the bourbon to the mix and whisk it in. Then pour the nog into your bottles.

Step 3: Set It Aside

Putting the eggnog on the shelf in the fridge for a few days will let the flavors meld and give it a slightly thicker texture. In addition, you now have a fully prepared concoction ready to go when you want it. If you plan on aging for more than one day, freezing the egg whites is a good idea.

The alcohol in the mixture acts as a preservative and also makes the raw eggs much safer. However, if you are vulnerable (young, old, pregnant or sick) find a recipe that has cooked eggs. Alternatively, the alcohol can be omitted for merrymakers of all ages, but it should not be aged in that case.

Step 4: Make Merry!

To serve, thaw then whip the egg whites and fold them in with the bottled eggnog. Pour into cocktail glasses or whatever festive vessels you have on hand (think moose antler glasses from Christmas Vacation).

Nutmeg is traditionally used as a garnish for eggnog, dusted on top, and it really adds a very nice aroma and taste, not to mention appearance! Happy Holidays!