Max Overstrom-Coleman’s eggnog recipe blends equal parts bourbon, Cognac and Myers’s rum with heavy cream, milk, farm-fresh eggs, sugar, a little salt and nutmeg incorporated into the batch so that it can be tasted throughout, not just on the first sip. He notes that “this recipe shines when you have access to the exceptional dairy products we have here in Vermont,” and suggests springing for the best you can find in your area. Served in a chilled Nick & Nora glass with a fresh grating of nutmeg, his recipe was found to be the archetypal example of a traditional eggnog in our recent tasting, with a creamy texture that still felt light and almost fluffy, underscored by a detectable boozy backbone.
Max Overstrom-Coleman’s Eggnog
Max Overstrom-Coleman, Wolf Tree | White River Junction, VT
Ingredients
Servings: approximately 8
- 1 cup bourbon, preferably Old Grand-Dad
- 1 cup Cognac, preferably Pierre Ferrand 1840
- 1 cup aged rum, preferably Myers's
- 1 quart whole milk
- 1 quart heavy cream (spring for the best you can find)
- 12 farm fresh eggs
- 1 pound granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
- Separate the eggs.
- Whisk the yolks and sugar together until they firm up and their bright orange color fades to a more opaque pale yellow.
- Slowly add the spirits, milk and cream while continuing to whisk air into the batch.
- Beat the egg whites and salt together to stiff peaks.
- Whisk the egg whites into the mixture.
- Bottle and store in the refrigerator until chilled, the longer the better.
- When ready to serve, pour into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and top with freshly grated nutmeg.