Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn’t need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don’t because it’s not cost-effective. Manufacturers have noticed that the colder it is, the more eggnog people buy.

Although its exact origin is uncertain, hot eggnog has been a mainstay of winter social life for hundreds of years. It can be served hot or cold, with alcohol or without, in dainty punch cups or in substantial mugs. Eggs in the nog can be cooked to a safe temperature or incorporated raw.

Pre-dinner drinks ought to be, by design, light. I wouldn’t serve anything like eggnog or other heavy, sweet drinks before dinner. Save them for the time when you can savor the experience with a post-meal sip or two.

Throughout Canada and the United States, eggnog is traditionally consumed over the Christmas season, from late October until the end of the holiday season. A variety called Ponche Crema has been made and consumed in Venezuela and Trinidad since the 1900s, also as part of the Christmas season.

Eggnog is a mixture of beaten egg yolks, cream, and, often, whiskey or rum to make it boozy. It’s served chilled. Do you cook the eggs?! With eggnog, you warm up a mixture of milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg and then slowly add that mixture to whisked egg yolks until it’s completely combined.

Eggnog has a sweet flavour instead of the savoury flavour. A glass of eggnog tastes like melted ice cream that rolls down your throat smoothly. Sometimes, people compare eggnog’s taste to that of a custard ice cream. They are both creamy and rich, with a spicy overtone because of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.