George Washington’s Heavy-on-the-Alcohol Eggnog

Eleanor. Now I remember why Washington is one of my favorite historical characters. Great eggnog recipe!! Eleanor. You have so many great, delicious and awarding winning recipes in this thread that you have my heading spinning like a top. Perhaps it's all of the alcohol. Nevertheless, I would nominate everyone of them for an award. Cheers and warm regards. David.
 
For eggnog, which is essentially raw eggs, it's a good idea to pasteurize those eggs first. George Washington (or his Civil War successors) never heard of salmonella. Reportedly these bacteria are much more prevalent these days than they were back in the period (no monstrous egg factories back then). It's quite a simple process, as shown here: https://www.wikihow.com/Pasteurize-Eggs Just don't go overboard and cook the eggs! Even more important, wait until the eggs are pasteurized before sampling the other ingredients. I'm already staggering a bit just from reading the recipes!
 
Egg nog used to have brandy or sherry in the recipe, according to food history professor Frederick Douglass Opie, and the purpose was to keep the drink from spoiling. But when it reached the US colonies in the 18th century, the much more affordable rum was used. (So you're all drinking The People's Nog. :D )

As for the name? It used to be called "egg-n-grog", which I think I now have to adopt.

"What about the name — eggnog? Opie writes that the term is a combination of two colonial slang words — rum was referred to as grog and bartenders served it in small wooden mugs called noggins. The drink first became known as egg-n-grog and later as eggnog."

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"What about the name — eggnog? Opie writes that the term is a combination of two colonial slang words — rum was referred to as grog and bartenders served it in small wooden mugs called noggins. The drink first became known as egg-n-grog and later as eggnog."

Source

@AndyHall should like that....very piratical, considering he lives and writes about blockade runners off Galveston Island! Hey, Andy, how much grog can you carry in a baaaaaarge?

On another tangent, I love this thread! Of course, I love eggnog. One year my (adult) daughter and I bought two bottles of eggnog....one was Pennsylvania Dutch brand, and the other was...I forget. :smile: We did a blind taste test, and Pennsylvania Dutch won hands down. It was darned impressive, too, although if I had some now I'd probably add some heavy cream.

And yeah, I left all kinds of openings for hilarious retorts.....fire away!
 
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Now that's a thought ! I might try that for breakfast tomorrow.

So you have some eggnog in the refrigerator! Now that's what I like to hear!

Thanks for the tip! I'll be spending the season in Sonoma, right next door!

That's awesome MaryDee! If you visit Kollar Chocolates, please tell us what you think! Have a great trip!!

Egg nog used to have brandy or sherry in the recipe, according to food history professor Frederick Douglass Opie, and the purpose was to keep the drink from spoiling. But when it reached the US colonies in the 18th century, the much more affordable rum was used. (So you're all drinking The People's Nog. :D )

As for the name? It used to be called "egg-n-grog", which I think I now have to adopt.

"What about the name — eggnog? Opie writes that the term is a combination of two colonial slang words — rum was referred to as grog and bartenders served it in small wooden mugs called noggins. The drink first became known as egg-n-grog and later as eggnog."

Source

Look at you getting all serious on me! Who are you and what have you done with my bestie, Lori Ann? Just kidding! You know your stuff and you have a great sense of humor!!
 
I’ve often wondered why humans ever thought drinking a spiced and spiked egg-yolk-and-milk mixture was a good idea. I mean that just doesn’t sound very appetizing to me. Nonetheless, I was coaxed into trying it many years ago and it has become an essential part of my holidays. And I’m not alone. Eggnog has charmed drinkers for nearly a millennium.

Culinary historians still debate its exact lineage, but most agree eggnog originated from the early medieval Britain “posset,” a hot, milky, ale-like drink. Our forefathers certainly loved their holiday eggnog. George Washington even penned his own famous heavy-on-the-alcohol eggnog recipe. Unfortunately he must have enjoyed a few cups before he wrote it down because he forgot to record the exact number of eggs in his recipe. Cooks in his era estimated a dozen would do.

George Washington’s Heavy-on-the-Alcohol Eggnog

One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.

There are lots of variations on eggnog today. Please share some of your favorites!
Thanks for the post. Sounds like something I can drink to drown out the in laws.
 
I'm familiar with eggnog and milk punch, but just learned about Advocaat, a traditional Dutch / Belgian rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy. It reportedly has a smooth, custard-like flavor and is similar to eggnog. The typical alcohol content is generally somewhere between 14% and 20% ABV.

In this picture, it looks like something I'd eat rather than drink.

Foodaholics
 
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I emailed my daughter in Sonoma about Kollar's Chocolates, and she couldn't believe that I found the reference on a forum about Civil War history! The variations and accompaniments to George's eggnog are getting better and better! I love this thread, even if it's getting a little off period (Christmas is only once a year).
 
I emailed my daughter in Sonoma about Kollar's Chocolates, and she couldn't believe that I found the reference on a forum about Civil War history! The variations and accompaniments to George's eggnog are getting better and better! I love this thread, even if it's getting a little off period (Christmas is only once a year).

Thanks Mary Dee! I'm enjoying it too!
 
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