George Washington's Egg Nog

[Evil Penevil]

Taking this opportunity to wish everyone

 

 

George Washington had a recipe for egg nog that's guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit PDQ!   I have tried this egg nog several times (and the other drinks as well) at various pre-Christmas receptions.

 

 

The recipe was found among his papers at Mount Vernon and in keeping with the custom of the times, was simply a list of ingredients:

One Pint of Brandy
Half pint of Rye Whiskey
Half pint of Jamaican Rum
One quarter pint Sherry
Eggs (George didn't specify how many)
Twelve tablespoons sugar
One quart of Milk
One quart of cream

Here's a modern recreation of his recipe:

George Washington's Egg Nog

* 2 cups brandy
* 1 cup rye whiskey
* 1 cup dark Jamaica rum
* 1/2 cup cream sherry
* 10 large eggs
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 quart milk
* 1 quart heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
* 1 cinnamon stick

Mix liquors first in a separate container. Separate yolks and whites into two large mixing bowls. Blanchir egg yolks (beat adding in sugar until the mixture turns a light yellow). Add liquor slowly to egg yolk mixture, continuing to beat (mixture will turn brown) until well incorporated. Add milk and cream simultaneously, slowly beating the mixture. Set aside.

Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into the alcohol mixture. Add nutmeg and cinnamon stick, and stir well to incorporate. Cover mixture in an airtight container.

Allow egg nog to cure undisturbed for several days (4-7) in the coldest art of the refrigerator (below 40 degrees). The mixture will separate as it cures. This is OK. Just be sure to re-incorporate mixture before serving cold.

         

If that recipe sounds a bit complicated, here's a simpler one:

Traditional Egg Nog
1 quart milk
1 cup superfine or confectioners' sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
12 large eggs, separated
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups bourbon
1 cup brandy
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Chocolate shavings, for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the yolks until pale yellow and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly pour in 1 cup of the hot milk, whisking constantly. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk, whisking. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat the cream until thick and frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat to soft peaks.
In a large punch bowl, combine the chilled egg yolk mixture and the bourbon and brandy. Fold in the sweetened whipped cream, then the egg whites. Refrigerate until chilled, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
To serve, sprinkle nutmeg over the top and garnish with chocolate shavings. Serve chilled.

If you're not a fan of egg nog, here are some alternative Christmas cocktails:

Gingerbread Stiffy
1 shot vanilla vodka
1 shot hazelnut-flavored liqueur (recommended: Frangelico)
1/2 shot butterscotch schnapps
4 ounces ginger beer
Float dark rum
Ice cubes
Gingerbread man cookie for garnish

Pour first 4 ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into high ball glass or any 8-ounce glass filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Pour a little dark rum over the back of a spoon and float on top of the ginger beer. Garnish with a gingerbread man cookie.

 

Candy Cane Cocktail
1 shot vanilla rum
1 shot white chocolate liqueur (recommended: Godiva)
1 shot peppermint schnapps
Candy cane, garnish
Pour first 3 ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into high ball glass or any 8-ounce glass filled with ice. Garnish with a candy cane.

Blue Xmas
1 shot vodka
1 shot blue fruit- and cognac- liqueur (recommended: Envy)
1/2 shot orange-flavored liqueur such as Cointreau)
Shredded dried coconut, garnish

Moisten the rim of a martini glass and dip into the shredded coconut. Pour first 3 ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into glass filled with ice. Sprinkle coconut on top of drink.

This one isn't Christmassy, but a damn nice drink. It can be difficult to find Hangar One , but you can make the equivalent by steeping kaffir lime leaves in any vodka for a few weeks.

Thai Martini
2 oz Hangar One Kaffir Lime vodka
Fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Splash simple syrup
Cayenne rim on glass

Combine the ingredients, including cilantro, in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into cocktail glass, garnish with more cilantro.

Enjoy!

Evil

Edited December 7, 2018 by Evil Penevil

[Thinkingallowed]

Intrigued by the gingerbread stiffy but not keen on the name. I'd be up for the martini no problem and if anyone wants to do one of those older egg nog recipes I'm willing to be your guinea pig.

[Ivan the terrible]

must have been so pissed on that ...hardly a suprise that he  left the Greatest Nation on Earth...idiot lol

[Evil Penevil]

On 12/8/2018 at 12:59 AM, Ivan the terrible said:

must have been so pissed on that ...hardly a suprise that he  left the Greatest Nation on Earth...idiot lol

By all accounts,  Washington was a moderate drinker by the standards of the day, but was one of America's biggest producers of whiskey.  When  he retired from the  presidency in 1797, he started a distillery on his Mount Vernon estate.  In 1799,  it turned out 11,000 gallons of 100 proof  rye whiskey.  Washington was land-rich but cash-poor and began several side businesses to increase the revenues from his plantation.  The distillery was by far the most profitable, with sales of whiskey in 1799 equivalent to $150,000 in current dollars.

The distillery was reconstructed about 10 years ago on its original site, following Washington's plans. It has become a popular tourist attraction:

Using equipment, methods and recipes from Washington's time, the distillery has also recreated the type of whiskey Washington sold.  As it wasn't aged, Washington's whiskey was more like grain alcohol than what we consider whiskey today.

Consumption of alcohol was much higher in colonial times than today.  Men drank six to 10 times more pure alcohol, largely because water supplies in cities were unsanitary. Men drank beer and cider, often fortified with crude whiskey, throughout the day.  Egg nog began as a "pick-me-up" drink given Washington's Christmas mix. It was basically eggs and milk with rum or whiskey added.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Evil Penevil

[Ivan the terrible]

1 hour ago, Evil Penevil said:

By all accounts,  Washington was a moderate drinker by the standards of the day, but was one of America's biggest producers of whiskey.  When  he retired from the  presidency in 1797, he started a distillery on his Mount Vernon estate.  In 1799,  it turned out 11,000 gallons of 100 proof  rye whiskey.  Washington was land-rich but cash-poor and began several side businesses to increase the revenues from his plantation.  The distillery was by far the most profitable, with sales of whiskey in 1799 equivalent to $150,000 in current dollars.

The distillery was reconstructed about 10 years ago on its original site, following Washington's plans. It has become a popular tourist attraction:

Using equipment, methods and recipes from Washington's time, the distillery has also recreated the type of whiskey Washington sold.  As it wasn't aged, Washington's whiskey was more like grain alcohol than what we consider whiskey today.

Consumption of alcohol was much higher in colonial times than today.  Men drank six to 10 times more pure alcohol, largely because water supplies in cities were unsanitary. Men drank beer and cider, often fortified with crude whiskey, throughout the day.  Egg nog began as a "pick-me-up" drink given Washington's Christmas mix. It was basically eggs and milk with rum or whiskey added.

Good stuff Evil.

So the early Americans were in fact present day Russians??...Trump has a free pass ..lol

[Evil Penevil]

Bumping this old thread to wish everyone

in what's definitely a less-than-cheerful year.  A new ornament hangs on my niece's Christmas tree:

And by all means, try George's egg nog.  It will put you in the Christmas spirit pretty damn quick!

Evil