Plenty of people are turned off by eggnog, but I personally think it's because they've never had a good one. Most people's first (and therefore only) experience with eggnog is the sickeningly sweet substance in the grocery store dairy case. No question about it: that stuff is nasty. But trust me; with very minimal effort, an absolutely delicious eggnog can be made. There's lots of great recipes out there; the more traditional recipes call for brandy although rum and bourbon are very popular (and good!) options too. But my absolute favorite to make is the version Jeffrey Morgenthaler created for Clyde Common. This now classic Portland holiday drink calls for two unusual spirits: tequila and sherry. Pretty unheard of for eggnog but let me tell you it's perfection and become a bit of a holiday tradition in our house. I can't imagine not making it at least once each Christmas season. You can find more information about eggnogs on Morgenthaler's website.
CLYDE COMMON EGGNOG RECIPE:
USING AÑEJO TEQUILA & AMONTILLADO SHERRY
Ingredients:
- 12 large eggs
- 18 oz (by volume) baker’s sugar
- 3 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
- 12 oz anejo tequila
- 15 oz Amontillado sherry
- 36 oz whole milk
- 24 oz heavy cream
This recipe makes 1 gallon so you may want to adjust depending on your needs. Either way you'll probably need to blend in batches unless you have a crazy big blender. I found that a 1/4 of this recipe worked best for keeping it manageable in a standard blender. So to get started, first beat the eggs on a slow speed; make sure they're well mixed but don't over do it or else you'll end up with scrambled eggs. Next slowly add in the nutmeg and sugar until incorporated and dissolved. And then it's just a matter of slowing adding the remaining liquids, so add in the sherry, tequila, milk and cream. Refrigerate the nog overnight as well as the glassware you'll be serving them in. Then the next day you can pour the nog into the chilled glass and grate nutmeg over the top. And then bottoms up :)