I’ve never been a big egg nog fan. That thick, sludgy stuff that comes out of the cartons and sold mostly during the holidays has always been a serious turn off. I went to a holiday party where a guy brought a carton and a bottle of rum + brandy (premixed), dumped them together, and served it. Even though I knew I wouldn’t like it, I tried it, and immediately regretted the cup of it I was holding in my hands. The thing is, I’ve always wanted to like egg nog. I mean, what’s not to like about it? I love its ingredients and tend to err on the vanilla side of things anyway. I love custards, creams, whipped deliciousness, and good brandy–why the heck would I not like egg nog? Because it wasn’t Mel’s egg nog.
Mel, Andrew’s dad, is famous in many a circle for his egg nog. Co-workers, friends, and family all know that the holiday season means more than just a good turkey and good company when they are invited over to his family home. The days leading up to the egg nog’s appearance were filled with excited whispers, anxious glances at the large quantities of cream, eggs, and booze, and memories of years past. One year, I was told, he didn’t make it and one of Andrew’s brothers simply stated “we don’t talk about that year.” This would be an easy place for me to gush about this because he is Andrew’s dad, but this is not about political gain. It’s about damn good egg nog.
So I pestered him a bit, letting him know that I’d like to hang out with him while he made this famous brew. Thank goodness he agreed. He even let me help out in the process.
People, there is still time this holiday season to make Mel’s heaven-in-a-cup. This drink is for everybody (21 and up, of course), the egg nog skeptic, the egg nog lover–everyone will find a common egg nog bond with this recipe. And while egg nog tends to be kept in the box of holiday cheer for me, you may find that this could be a great drink any time of year–don’t let me hold you back!
Mel’s Egg Nog
1 dozen eggs
1 pound powdered sugar
2 cups dark rum
2 cups peach brandy
2 cups apricot brandy
2 quarts half and half
1/3 cup vanilla extract
Separate 12 eggs. Beat powdered sugar into egg yokes. Beat in 2 cups dark rum. Let sit for one hour. After one hour, beat in the remainder of ingredients and refrigerate covered for four hours. Keep the egg whites in the refrigerator too, and take them out one hour before whipping them. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold into the mixture. Sprinkle with a little nutmeg and a little cinnamon.
This will definitely bring on some cheer! Cheers!
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