George Washington’s Eggnog
Delicious, boozy homemade eggnog that’s so much better than what you buy at the store
City/Region: United States of America
Time Period: 18th Century
Was this really George Washington’s recipe? Supposedly, it came from the kitchen papers at Mount Vernon, but I didn’t see it when I did research on them. The first instance of this recipe seems to be from 1948 in the book Christmas with the Washingtons by Olive Bailey. This recipe reads like a recipe from the late 1700s, we do have recipes that George Washington wrote down, and eggnog was very popular at the time, so it’s possible that it’s actually George Washington’s recipe, but we’ll never know for sure.
What we do know is that this eggnog is SO GOOD. It’s nothing like store-bought versions, and I like those too. It’s sweet and rich without being thick like the ones from the store that coat your mouth and throat. It has a lovely foam on it and is very, very boozy.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (475 ml) brandy
- 1 cup (235 ml) rye whiskey
- 1 cup (235 ml) dark rum
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sherry
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 12 medium eggs, or 10 large eggs, separated
- 1 quart (950 ml) cream
- 1 quart (950 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg or other spices, optional
Instructions:
- Mix the liquors together first. You honestly could probably skip this step. I’m not sure why you need to do this first, but it’s what the historical recipe said, so I did it.
- In a very large bowl, beat the egg yolks until they become pale. Slowly beat in the sugar a little bit at a time.
- Slowly add the milk and cream, beating constantly.
- Stir in the liquors until it’s nice and smooth. Stir in nutmeg or other spices, if using.
- Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. If you’re using the same mixer and bowl as with the egg yolks, be sure to wash and dry them thoroughly before using them on the egg whites. Any yolk left on them can prevent the whites from achieving a stiff peak.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cream mixture a little at a time until incorporated.
- Serve it forth now, or cover it and age it in the refrigerator for a few days, I did 5. Taste frequently.
- After aging, pour into a glass, grate a little nutmeg on top, and serve it forth.
Notes
- You can find rye whiskey and dark rum in my curated collection at Curiada
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