Posted by Denise Mickelsen

"Christmas is not properly observed unless you brew egg nogg for all comers."
—unknown source, 1866

I don’t eat eggs. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you that I have not eaten eggs on their own – scrambled, poached, deviled, or in a salad – since I was 2 years old.  I don’t know if it’s the texture of eggs, the odor, or the flavor (or all three), but I stand strong in my distaste.  The incredible, edible egg is not for me.

That said, I volunteered to edit the holiday drink story in the current issue, which of course includes eggnog. I have never been a fan of the store-bought stuff: it’s too thick, too rich, and cloyingly sweet. The fact that it’s made of eggs, of course, never helped. 

Does eggnog have to be this way? I wondered.  Surely, making it from scratch would help.  I could control the sweetness, the thickness, and I could even control the egg-i-ness!  And so Allison and I set out to create an eggnog that even an egg hater would love.

It’s a simple enough formula.  Blend egg yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt until thick and pale yellow, add your liquor of choice (our version calls for combination of dark rum, brandy, and bourbon), then stir in cream and milk. I let that mixture chill overnight and folded in beaten egg whites the next morning. The drink chilled for another few hours, then I packed it up and brought it to my mom’s house for our holiday festivities.

Garnished with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg, the eggnog was frothy, creamy, and light as air.  Just sweet enough, the milk helped to lighten the mix and the alcohol was mellow and warming. My sister drank her glass down in minutes and asked for more.  Even my mother, who is not an eggnog drinker either, asked for a taste and proclaimed it delicious. I loved it too, which is great. Now I can honestly say that I like eggs, as long as I can drink them.