History of Eggnog
The origins, etymology, and even the ingredients used to make the original eggnog drink are debated. Eggnog, or a very similar drink, may have originated in East Anglia, England, though it may also have been developed from posset (a medieval European beverage made with hot milk). An article by Nanna Rögnvaldsdóttir, an Icelandic food expert, states that the drink adopted the “nog” part of its name from the word “noggin”, a Middle English term used to describe a small, wooden, carved mug used to serve alcohol. Another name for this British drink was Egg Flip. Yet another story is that the term derived from the name “egg-and-grog”, a common Colonial term used to describe rum. Eventually the term was shortened to “egg’n'grog”, then “eggnog”.
The ingredients for the drink were too expensive and uncommon for the lower classes, but it was popular among the aristocracy. “You have to remember, the average Londoner rarely saw a glass of milk,” says author and historian James Humes (To Humes It May Concern, July 1997). “There was no refrigeration, and the farms belonged to the big estates. Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with brandy or Madeira or even sherry.”[3]
The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century. Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed, rum from the Triangular Trade with the Caribbean was a cost-effective substitute. The inexpensive liquor coupled with plentiful farm and dairy products helped the drink become very popular in America.[4] When the supply of rum to the newly-founded United States was reduced as a consequence of the American Revolutionary War, Americans turned to indigenous whiskey—and eventually bourbon in particular—as a substitute.
Ingredients
Modern eggnog typically consists of milk, sugar, nutmeg, and eggs. Frequently cream is substituted for some portion of the milk to make a much richer drink. In some eggnogs you can find gelatin. Toppings may include vanilla ice cream, meringue, or whipped cream. – (Wikepedia)
