What does eggnog taste like?
Eggnog tastes like a cold, boozy custard: creamy and sweet, with vanilla and nutmeg up front and a warm kick from rum, brandy or bourbon when it's spiked.
Eggnog
boozy holiday custard
Eggnog is milk, cream, sugar and eggs whisked together and topped with a dusting of nutmeg. It drinks like melted vanilla ice cream with a cozy spice edge. At a bar in December it's almost always spiked, usually with rum, brandy or bourbon, which cuts the sweetness and warms you on the way down. The carton kind from the grocery store is thicker and sweeter, and has no alcohol unless you add it. Bar and homemade versions are often lighter and frothier, especially when whipped egg whites get folded in.
Where you’ll see it
On holiday cocktail menus from Thanksgiving through New Year's, served cold in a small glass or punch cup with fresh nutmeg grated on top. Some bars make a big batch weeks ahead and let it age, which mellows the booze.
Order it if you want dessert and a nightcap in the same glass.
Quick questions
- Does eggnog have alcohol in it?
- It comes both ways. Store-bought eggnog is alcohol-free, but on a bar menu it's almost always spiked with rum, brandy, bourbon or a mix. Ask if you're not sure.
- What is eggnog made of?
- Milk, cream, sugar and eggs, flavored with nutmeg and often vanilla or cinnamon. Spiked versions add rum, brandy, bourbon or a combination of them.