Holiday
We all know the holiday season can sometimes be a less then “joyful” occasion. Lines at your local shops and stores seem to begin to stretch into the next county, the feast you had prepared for the legion of family members preparing to descend upon your house like a swarm of locust has burnt, the children (which aren’t always all yours) are out of school and rocketing off the walls in boredom while your uncle Tom gets into with your aunt over which presidential candidate is going to best save the county from its impending doom. Ah yes…the holidays.
I am not sure if the good people East Anglia, England during the 18th century had their fair share of holiday strife to deal with when they decided to concoct the age old Eggnog, but I do know now-a-days, you cant have a holiday without it. And hey, we could all use a little stress relief during the holidays. Rich, frothy and laden with booze, eggnog — whether you love it or hate it — is an inevitable part of the holiday tradition.
Though there is a plethora of different ways to produce eggnog, the bottom line goes like this. You start with 4 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 pint whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream; 3-4 ounces of Whiskey, rum, brandy, or cognac, 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg and 4 egg whites. Then in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.
Now if this procedure just sounds like to much work, you can always make a trek to the store and pick your self up an already mixed, ready to serve version and just add the liquor of choice.
However, if the thought of fusing booze with milk and eggs doesn’t sit well in your stomach, one could always mix up a marry ole yultide cocktail. There are a million different ways to put together the infamous martini, and here are some with a lil’ “holiday flare”.
This one is one called the Nutcracker Sweet. (Don’t worry fella’s it’s just a name) Prepare a martini glass by first dipping it in chocolate and then in crushed almonds and coconut. Mix all the ingredients –1 1/2 oz Vodka, 1/2 oz Amaretto, 3/4 oz White cream de cacao– in a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into the prepared martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and you got your self one rockin’ cocktail to fit all of your holiday festivities.
Another quick holiday style martini is the Snowflake Martini. Here is the jist — 1 1/2 oz vodka, 1/4 oz lemon juice, 1 oz hpnotiq (hypnotic) liqueur, 1 oz white cranberry juice – you make like Santa’s belly and shake it all up and serve into a chilled martini glass rimmed with coconut shavings. It may look a little tropical, but just remind people that it’s a “Snowflake” martini and you should be all set.
Knowing that presentation means everything during the holidays, we here at After5 have come up with solution for those serving eggnog at holiday get-togethers. Our Holiday Flip-Flop Drink Coasters would look great under any number of our ceramic mugs, filled to the frosty top with eggnog and holiday cheer.
If you choose to take the martini route, you could really impress your guests with your very own personalized martini glasses. This set of two personalized martini glasses garnished with a retro flair can fit up to 14 letters of your choice.
And for those who find them selves in a holiday situation that calls for covert drinking operations, our handy cell phone, camera or binocular flasks could come in the clutch during those long drawn out holiday discussions where the only way to survive is to take back a swig or two.
So however you celebrate your holidays –whether with or without eggnog– make sure to keep your head up and remember, it’s only another 365 days until it starts all over again.