Cold weather and holidays are the perfect time to enjoy rich and tasty beverages like peppermint mocha, wassail, hot chocolate, mulled wine or one of the most popular, and the favorite of my husband, eggnog. But how did we get the 15 million gallons of eggnog that will be consumed by us this year in the US?
Eggnog evolved from a medieval drink in Britain called posset. This beverage was made from milk, alcohol and sometimes eggs. For the common folks, beer or ale was used. For the more affluent, brandy or sherry were the alcohols of choice. Posset was originally consumed for its supposed ability to cure colds but later became a drink for celebration and festive occasions.
Posset was brought to the Americas by British colonials. Eggs and milk were cheaper and more plentiful in the colonies than in Britain. Rum and sugar from the Caribbean were also readily available. The uniquely American version of this drink combining these ingredients came to be known as eggnog and was a widespread favorite.
The origin of the “nog” in eggnog is unclear. Some people claim that it refers to a strong ale that was popular at the time called nog. Many seem to think nog is a shortening of the word noggin, a wooden cup or bowl. Still others think it started out as “egg and grog” with grog being a word for diluted rum or other spirits and was later shortened to eggnog.
The first written reference to eggnog was in a poem written by Jonathan Boucher in 1775. Its earliest known association with Christmas was in a story in the Viriginia Chronicle in 1793. From the earliest days of our country to now, eggnog has remained a holiday staple.
Non-alcoholic versions of eggnog began appearing in stores in the 1940s from milk companies. By the 1960s, prepackaged, non-alcoholic eggnog was widely available. Today non-alcoholic eggnog comprises the majority of the 15 million gallons consumed annually in the United States.
I, along with many other people, am not a fan of eggnog. Its defenders would likely claim that this is because I have never had the real thing. Store bought eggnog is only required to contain a minimum of 1% egg yolk. One could argue that is more of a flavored milk than rich, custardy eggnog. Admittedly the eggnog my daughter makes is far tastier than the store-bought varieties. Perhaps this Christmas I will give eggnog another try, or perhaps I will stick to enjoying my favorites, peppermint mocha and wassail.
Crystal Kelly is a feature writer for Bizarre Bytes with those unusual facts that you only need to know for Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy or to stump your in-laws.
