Of the many foods associated with the holidays, few are as tied to the season as eggnog. Other traditional staples like lamb, turkey, goose, and ham are eaten year-round or at least they can be. Granted, one can always make homemade eggnog in July, but for the most part, eggnog is rarely produced commercially outside of the final two months of the year. The thick, milky beverage materializes around mid-November, hangs around until New Years, and then ducks away as quickly as it came, not to be whipped up and sprinkled with nutmeg again for at least another ten months.
Eggnog belongs to the winter, or at least its onset. Rich and heavy with froth, foam, cream, and--depending on the recipe--spirits, the beverage is a soft insulator against the cold. Appropriately enough, it seems that eggnog's ancestors were concocted to serve that very purpose and so offset the arrival of winter and its attendant weather-related infirmities.
Eggnog is largely believed to be a descendant of posset, a sugar-and-spice, hot milk punch curdled with wine or beer. Popular during Medieval times, especially amongst the nobility and upper class (in the absence of refrigeration only wealthy estates had access to fresh milk), warm posset was administered to those suffering from insomnia and minor illnesses, particularly the common cold. Posset developed into “caudle” over time, as grains, “gruel,” and eventually eggs were added to the mixture as thickening agents and to increase the beverage's nutritional value. Eggnog's predecessors were, in essence, winter tonics.i
It is safe to say that eggnog, while dropping the specious medicinal properties of its forbearers, has simply stayed true to its seasonal roots. On that note, however, little to no information exists to explain eggnog's formidable social association with Christmas and New Years and its abrupt exit thereafter. Perhaps the holiday link has something to do with eggnog's ties to health. Following its inception as a restorative potion, posset, and eventually eggnog, soon branched out from the bedside to the parlor where it was used to toast--what else--but one's health. In that capacity, its association with the holidays seems to make more sense--what better time to raise a frothy mug-a-nog to good health than around the holidays in the company of loved ones?
In its purest form, eggnog as it's known today consists of eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and assorted spices and spirits that vary with the region and culture. Yet, the exact point at which the beverage assumed its noggy moniker is a point of contention.
Eggnog is known to have originated in England, although the origins of its name can be traced to both sides of the Atlantic. In England, two separate yet not too dissimilar explanations arise. One holds that eggnog evolved straight from the word “nog,” Old English slang for strong beer. The second explanation points to the small, wooden mugs used at taverns and pubs called “noggins” in which “nog” and eggnog were first believed to be served.
Eggnog was also quite popular in Colonial America at the height of the “triangular trade” of sugar, slaves, and rum. Rum, which was exceedingly plentiful and cheap in the New World , was also known as “grog” and took the place ale, brandy, and wine, eggnog's traditional Old World ingredients. Some believe the beverage assumed the descriptive name of “egg-and-grog,” which time and convenience whittled down to eggnog.
Eggnog in America
Alongside its abundant supply of rum, Colonial America was also home to a large number of small dairy farms, thus making milk, cream, and consequently eggnog more accessible to the general population. This accessibility made a clear mark—somewhat innocuous and somewhat sordid—on America 's character.
George Washington reportedly loved eggnog, so much so that he even concocted his own, rather boozy brew for those extra cold nights at Mt. Vernon. His version of the drink contained not only rum, but ample slugs of sherry, brandy, and whiskey.
In early 19th century Baltimore, it was a New Years tradition for young men to partake in what was an eggnog-soaked type of a pub crawl. The carousers would go from one friend's house to the next, imbibing a healthy portion of the beverage at each stop. This enterprise lasted throughout the night, or until the eggnog got the better of the revelers and sent them to be early.
This traditional drink of merriment and good tidings almost altered the course of American history. In 1826, a young Jefferson Davis, then a West Point cadet, was arrested for his involvement in the Christmas eggnog riot.
Responding to rumors that cadets planned to include alcohol in their Christmas celebrations, West Point Superintendent Sylvanius Thayer made it known that all such festivities were to be alcohol free and he even put extra officers on patrol to make sure the cadets fell in line. Davis and a small cadre of friends were not dissuaded. They smuggled liquor into the barracks, snuck away to a secret party room, and spiked a batch of eggnog.
Further into the evening, Davis caught word that Captain Hitchmod, one of the officers on patrol, was on his way to bust the furtive gathering. Davis burst into the room, shouting “Put away the grog. Captain Hitchmod is coming.” Captain Hitchmod was already there. Davis was summarily arrested and ordered to his room. Davis complied without protest.
Directly afterwards, agitated and inebriated cadets “reeled through the barracks shouting, some with swords, some with muskets, some with bayonets; one fired a musket; another threw a log at an officer.” 1 In the end, nineteen cadets were court-marshaled and dismissed. Davis, despite his participation, received no punishment, which, some believe, was due to his quick, unquestioning submission to the arresting officer and for remaining in his room throughout the nog-ruckus.
Eggnog Today
The popularity of commercial eggnog is undeniable. During the holiday season, the availability of eggnog is virtually limitless. It can be purchased by the carton at just about any supermarket and is even sold in special holiday lattes at innumerable coffee shops nationwide.
Yet with all the availability, consumers looking for organic or sustainably-produced eggnog have disproportionately few options. The vast majority of the eggnog on the market is conventionally produced. Moreover, consumers looking for eggnog that is not only sustainable and/or organic, but the product of relatively few inputs, would be hard pressed to find a source. But, while few and far between, such producers do exist.
One such producer is Ronnybrook Dairy Farm located in Ancramdale, New York. In 1941, Dave and Helen Osofsky bought the Hudson Valley farm and named it after their eldest son, Ronny. Today, Dave and Helen's children and grandchildren manage the farms' 400 acres and 90 Holsteins. Ronnybrook Dairy Farm's black and white stippled cows are pasture-raised, feasting on a diet of grass in the summer and corn and hay silage in the winter, and are never supplemented with hormones or antibiotics. From these contented cows, the family produces and markets a wide range of dairy products, including milk, butter, ice cream, yogurt, pudding, and eggnog.
Sid Osofsky, brother of Ronny and one of the owners of Ronnybrook, doesn't shy away from preaching the merits of his eggnog. “It's dangerously good” he says. Others seem to agree. Ronnybrook's eggnog was just named “Best of the Hudson Valley ” by Hudson Valley Magazine. New York Magazine rated it as “Excellent.” And the New York Times also gave it rave reviews.
All the milk and cream used in Ronnybrook's eggnog is produced on-site. “It's all fresh,” Sid says, “meaning within two days we're using the milk and cream our cows produced.” In addition, the milk is not ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurizing, which is usually practiced on larger, conventional dairies, destroys many of the enzymes and kills all of the bacteria, even the beneficial kinds, naturally found in milk. This gives the milk a longer shelf life of up to two to three months. Ronnybrook dates its milk for thirteen days.
An off-site manufacturer makes Ronnybrook's eggnog base or flavoring. About ten years ago, the Osofskys approved the recipe for the base and haven't changed it since, as they “found the flavor so satisfying.” The base contains a mixture of traditional eggnog seasonings like nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar, along with other solids added for texture. The flavoring is shipped to the farm where it's combined with the milk and cream.
Sid maintains that everyone, the conventional and organic producers, probably make eggnog and flavored dairy products the same way—importing seasonings and such. But, he says, “the raw ingredients [milk and cream] are ours; they're not from 1,000 farms mixed together. That's where the whole thing starts. That's a large part of it.” He adds, “Also, our milk travels very little distance, which maintains the integrity of the milk. We have the cleanest milk that you can have, unless you want it fresh or raw.”
Ronnybrook Dairy Farm products are available from the farm directly and at several retail outlets throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City. Consult their website for a complete list of stores. Eggnog is only available from November 1st through January 1st.
As Sid pointed out, it is difficult to find a dairy product, such as eggnog, that can't be traced back to myriad farms and assorted manufacturers. Vermonters, however, have it a bit easier than most, thanks to the one-farm, one-family operation, Strafford Organic Creamery.
According to Amy Huyffer who runs the creamery with her husband Earl Ransom, the farm has always been organic, even before there was such a thing as being certified. Earl's father actually helped establish the Northeast Organic Farming Association, a non-profit association of gardeners, diversified farmers, and consumers that provides organic certification and other agricultural services.
Amy and Earl manage 600 acres of land and milk approximately 40 cows (Guernseys and Jerseys) at any one time. They started producing eggnog four years ago and it never fails to sell out. “It's the best eggnog around,” Amy claims.
Everything that goes into the creamery's eggnog is certified organic and mixed on the farm. As Amy says, all the ingredients are ordered individually and have not been pre-mixed, “there are no gummy things like carrageen. All thickness comes from cream and eggs.” The milk and cream are produced on-site. The eggs are sourced locally. And the other base ingredients, such as the nutmeg and sugar are ordered from organic distributors. Amy notes that, “ten years ago it would have been really hard to get all the organic ingredients. But now it's not. There are catalogs and food brokers and I deal directly with my brokers. Demand seems to be increasing.”
While sourcing all the ingredients is not necessarily difficult, mixing them on the farm definitely is. By Amy's account, it's the pesky nutmeg that causes most of the problems. “Nutmeg gets caught in every single surface,” she says. “It will find every place in the gasket.” In the end, once there's nothing more to mix and the last drop of eggnog has found its way through the pipes and into the bottles, it's time to clean. Thanks in large part to the fine coating of nutmeg, it can take seventeen hours, if not more, to clean the works.
So, with all the hassle, why do they do it? “We do it for love,” she says. If it wasn't for that love, there would be quite a few disappointed eggnog enthusiasts in Vermont. Demand for Strafford Organic Creamery's eggnog has risen each year to the point where store owners submit inquiries as early as August.
Strafford Organic Creamery eggnog is not available from the farm, but from the 25 to 30 Strafford-area retail outlets that sell Amy and Earl's products. The creamery typically produces about five batches through the holiday season—one the week before Thanksgiving, another two weeks later, and then another batch per week up until New Years.
Consumers looking for their local versions of Strafford Organic Creamery or Ronnybrook Dairy Farm can consult the Eat Well Guide, an online directory of stores, restaurants, and small farms across the U.S. and Canada that offer sustainably-raised meat, dairy, and egg products. A handful of similar dairies listed in the guide do offer eggnog for the holiday season. To search for one in your area, just drop by the Eat Well Guide, enter your zip code, and in no time at all a good number of local farms and outlets should appear. The dairy farm's description should mention whether or not the farm produces eggnog.
- Courtesy of Sustainable Table®
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