Alcoholic Eggnog, Anyone?

Seventy-eight years ago on December 5th, the ban on alcohol was repealed in the U.S. The Prohibition era, the 13-year period of the ban, brought us the decade of the roaring 20's, organized crime, and speakeasy joints. It all seems strangely alluring for those who like to live life toeing the edge of social taboos. If you're in that group, read on.

Christmas is a Time for... Alcohol?

While we tend to associate cookies with Christmas and the holidays, the fact of the matter is that this season is for parties, and no party is complete without alcohol. No Christmas party, no matter how child-friendly, always ends up with wine, beer, or, much to my personal chagrin, holiday-themed cocktails. Don't get me wrong, I love kitschy things as much as the next person. But I also like good food and good, complementing drinks. So, before you decide to take vodka shots out of peppermit candy shot glasses, maybe you'll want to try something a little more, appropriate for the season, Alcoholic Eggnog!

Alcoholic Eggnog--not as Odd as You Might Think

The origins of eggnog, which untraceable, appear to be linked to the social disparities of the rich and poor in medieval Europe. The rich, who had access to milk, eggs, and alcohol, would mix the three to create a concoction similar to what we now know as eggnog. Everywhere it went thereafter, the locals would tend to use whatever alcohol was cheapest and more locally available. In the U.S., that took the form of whiskey, particularly in the 1800's when corn was cheap and whiskey was plentiful. While recipes varied, it appears that most would include raw eggs and spirits.

Where did the Alcohol go?

With the rise of the American food processing system, we lost the alcohol, the raw eggs, and, of course, any semblance of good flavor. Eggs sold by large U.S. egg producers have a potential for being contaminated by salmonella, due to the way the egg-laying chickens are housed. Because the FDA allows this potential contamination to occur, they have to then firmly control that no raw eggs are served to the public. In fact, the FDA has taken it upon itself to define what eggnog is, so that it is easier to make across eggnog manufacturers, which tend to be the makers of dairy products. Eggs in eggnog are either pasteurized or completely left out (as it is optional, according to the FDA) of the eggnog recipes that most manufacturers sell in our grocery stores. And, because most dairy sellers are not structured to sell in the alcohol aisle, alcohol is also left out of the recipe.

Now, I'm not a junky, an alcoholic, nor any kind of patron of intoxicating substances. But I am a proponent of good flavors. And I know that leaving the alcohol and the raw eggs out of an eggnog recipe is basically cheating eggnog of being a truly unique drink. Without these two, eggnog is simply a liquid dessert that reminds most people of custard. And because of that, I have 5 words (truly organic, locally grown eggs), two recipes and a brand.

Alton Brown's Recipe for Eggnog

The first recipe is from Alton Brown. I often refer to Alton because he always has a scientific, seasonal, and culturally based logic behind his recipes. Sure, we all want to twist the ingredients list here and there, but sometimes, you just want the original. Notice that in this recipe on the Food Network website, there is a clear disclaimer that raw egg consumption is unsafe and potentially harmful. While I don't advocate eating salmonella, all I can say is, use organic eggs. Thereafter, use this recipe at your own risk (as I will do this holiday season).

A Recipe for Rompope

What is rompope? It's Spanish for the type of eggnog consumed in Mexico, which generally contains rum. The recipe I found at bravotv.com is very close to my own family recipe. The key to this recipe is really in the stirring. You'll want to make sure you follow the recipe carefully, or you'll end up with egg drop soup in your custard milk, which tastes just as bad as it sounds!

A Note About Alcoholic Drinks at a Family Dinner with Children

Alcohol in our foods is not new. But, when we cook chicken with white wine, for example, the alcohol allegedly evaporates from the food while meat cooks. So your chicken will taste better, but will not make you drunk. But, in this case, the alcohol remains in the drink. So the result from this recipe is very much alcoholic, along with its intoxicating side effects. So, if you don't want to damage the brains of your little ones, try the following:

1. Make sure to have two types of eggnog at your get together.
2. As with all alcoholic drinks, make sure that the drinks at your party are distinct colors. This should not be a problem with alcoholic eggnog, as it tends to have a richer, darker yellow color.
3. Place alcoholic drinks on a different table at your gathering. Put the eggnog where the little ones can't reach it, along with the wine and the champagne.
4. Serve alcoholic drinks after dinner, when the little ones have disbanded from the larger group.
5. Serve alcoholic drinks in a different room altogether.

Rompope Brands

To be blunt, I recommend Coronado. It's basically sweeter and has a stronger rum flavor, albeit subtle. Santa Clara rompope tends to be a bit too bland for my taste, but people swear by it. So give them both a try!

Finally, for those Much More Adventurous Spanish Speakers...

Try this recipe, found in a youtube video clip from a popular Mexican morning show, for what can only be translated as sweet, corny cornbread drizzled with alcoholic eggnog. If you have had sweet cornbread (like the recipe from the Neely's) and know what tres leches cake is, you can imagine what this cake must taste like. The words exquisitely sweet come to mind.

Happy End of Prohibition Day, everyone!