The traditional Christmas drink made with milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, often spiked with alcohol, is eggnog. It is a rich, sweet beverage served chilled or, in some variations, warm, and it is especially associated with Christmas in the United States and Canada.
Traditional recipes combine milk or cream with beaten eggs and sugar. Whipped egg whites can give homemade eggnog a frothy texture, while nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, or cloves provide the familiar holiday aroma. Brandy, rum, bourbon, whiskey, sherry, or cognac may be added, although alcohol-free eggnog is also common.
The drink’s ancestry is often linked to European milk punches and posset, an older beverage made with hot milk, wine or ale, and spices. Eggnog became especially popular in the American colonies during the 18th century, where plentiful dairy products and relatively inexpensive rum helped establish the drink’s local style.
Eggnog is not the same as hot chocolate, punch, or mulled wine. Commercial versions may contain less egg and use thickeners such as gelatin or gums. A related hot cocktail, the Tom and Jerry, combines an eggnog-like batter with spirits and is also associated with the Christmas season.