Early American Eggnog

This traditional version of classic eggnog is suspected of having roots dating to George Washington's era, but it certainly pulls out all the stops. A creamy blend of egg yolks, egg whites, heavy cream, milk, rum, brandy, and sherry, it requires aging at least 5 to 10 days to achieve its remarkable mellow taste.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins

Ingredients

• 12 eggs, separated
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream, for serving
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ground nutmeg, for garnish
• 0.75 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup sherry wine
• 0.5 cup whiskey
• 0.5 cup Jamaican rum

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pour the brandy, sherry, rum, and whiskey into a bowl.

Step 2

Place the egg yolks and egg whites into two separate, large mixing bowls. Set the egg whites aside. Beat the egg yolks until light and frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar until the egg mixture is light colored. Slowly beat in the liquor mixture. With the mixer still running, pour in the milk and heavy cream until thoroughly blended.

Step 3

Using a clean beater, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the milk mixture. Pour into two clean, gallon-size plastic milk containers. Refrigerate at least 5 days, or 10 days for an even smoother taste. Shake the container occasionally to keep the alcohol from separating.

Step 4

To serve, pour the eggnog into a punch bowl. Whisk to blend milk mixture, add the quart of vanilla ice cream, and garnish with nutmeg.