Cocktails / Alton Brown's Aged Eggnog

Alton Brown's Aged Eggnog

Name: Alton Brown's Aged Eggnog
Yield: 1 cocktail
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 cup Jamaican rum; 1 cup Cognac; 1 cup Bourbon; 12 Large eggs, yolks only; 1 pound Sugar; 1 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg; 1 pint Half-and-half; 1 pint Whole milk; 1 pint Heavy cream; 1/4 tsp Kosher salt; garnish Freshly grated nutmeg

Eggnog made properly and then left alone for weeks. The aging isn’t a flourish, it’s the recipe — time smooths the alcohol and turns something sweet and heavy into something genuinely complex.

Start it well before you need it. This is the one drink here whose hardest ingredient is patience.

Alton Brown's Aged Eggnog

Rocks · None

Ingredients

1 cupJamaican rum
1 cupCognac
1 cupBourbon
12Large eggs, yolks only
1 poundSugar
1 tspFreshly grated nutmeg
1 pintHalf-and-half
1 pintWhole milk
1 pintHeavy cream
1/4 tspKosher salt
garnishFreshly grated nutmeg

Method

1
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for another use. In a large mixing bowl, beat the yolks with the sugar and nutmeg until the mixture lightens in color and falls from the whisk in a thick, continuous ribbon.
2
In a separate large bowl or pitcher, combine the half-and-half, whole milk, heavy cream, rum, cognac, bourbon, and salt. Stir to integrate.
3
Slowly pour the dairy-spirit mixture into the egg mixture while beating continuously, incorporating gradually to avoid scrambling the yolks.
4
Transfer to one large glass jar or divide among several smaller ones. Seal tightly and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 weeks — 4 weeks produces a noticeably rounder, more integrated result.
5
To serve, pour into mugs or rocks glasses and finish with a generous grating of fresh nutmeg over the surface.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.

History

Eggnog descends from sack posset, a thick English drink built on eggs, milk, and fortified wine or ale that dates back several centuries. The American tradition of spiking it with whiskey and rum took hold in the colonial era, when spirits were more plentiful — and more trustworthy — than the local water supply.

Pro tip

The aging process is the whole point here — the alcohol gently "cooks" the yolks over time, mellowing any raw egg character while the three spirits meld into something far more complex than any one of them could achieve alone. Resist the urge to drink it early. At two weeks it's good; at four it's genuinely exceptional. For the spirit selection, lean toward a full-flavored pot-still Jamaican rum (Appleton Estate 12 or Smith & Cross), a VS or VSOP Cognac, and a mid-proof bourbon with some backbone — the dairy needs something to push back against.

Source

Alton Brown