The Perfect Spiked Eggnog

The Perfect Spiked Eggnog. Delicious & creamy yet refreshing & dreamy. The only way I like alcohol in my eggnog and a perfect holiday treat!

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When I say the Perfect Spiked Eggnog, I mean it. I love eggnog and I love a good cocktail. But I have never really loved the eggnog and alcohol combination. I found the whiskey, rum or brandy overshadowed the eggnog flavor. The alcohol watered down the creamy mouthfeel of a good eggnog. Furthermore, the eggnog never quite balanced the burn of the whiskey. The balance was always off no matter how little alcohol I added to the eggnog. I would take a sip and immediately think, why did I do that? I should have just enjoyed the eggnog as is.

However, when I made the Easy Eggnog Rice Pudding with Brown Butter, I felt like I had to at least try to make a spiked eggnog cocktail. I figured I’d give it a go and if I hated it, there were plenty of other options I could create. Part of me thought maybe I would just make the cocktail even if I didn’t enjoy it because so many other people seem to like just putting alcohol into eggnog. So when I made this cocktail, tasted it AND actually enjoyed it, I was stunned. It felt like I figured out the secret to enjoying alcohol and eggnog and wondered why I hadn’t thought to try it before!

The secret ingredient, orange zest. Orange zest was the perfect bridge between the whiskey and the eggnog, it was everything the drink was previously missing. Honestly, the idea came to me because I tried some orange zest on top of the eggnog rice pudding and it was amazing! So I figured, well why not try a little zest in here, couldn’t hurt. Not only did it work, but it opened my eyes to the wonders of alcoholic eggnog. This Perfect Spiked Eggnog is honestly the perfect dessert cocktail for the holiday season and will be in my regular rotation, with or without the Easy Eggnog Rice Pudding pairing.

Recipe Notes & Substitutions

Eggnog– This is a very important ingredient in the cocktail, so get one you like. I honestly haven’t ever made my own, I have thought about it but usually just go with the stuff in the store. It does not matter if it is homemade or store bought; small batch and artisanal or a generic grocery brand; vegan or not. Just go with the one you like the best! The recipe uses regular eggnog, but hey if you enjoy a flavored one give that a go.

Alcohol– Use whatever one you enjoy! Bourbon, brandy or spiced rum are my first choices. I would stay away from anything smokey and lean towards a sweeter spirit. Again, use the one you like best, bourbon, brandy, whiskey and rum will all work well! If using brandy, don’t use a flavored brandy with sugar (like sweet apple brandy or blackberry brandy); it will be too sweet.

Simple Syrup– Yes, eggnog is already really sweet, so if you want you can skip it. However, I find it adds a nice balance, tames the alcohol AND helps pair to the Eggnog Rice Pudding extremely well (as discussed below). Feel free to have a little fun and make a spiced simple syrup or use brown sugar. Note that if using brown sugar it will darken the drink a little more, but it will be really nice. I honestly would likely use a brown sugar syrup if I was going to use rum in the cocktail. The molasses notes in brown sugar would really pop with the rum.

Orange Zest– Yes the key ingredient, don’t skip it! You don’t even need a lot it just adds incredible balance and flavor. The reason the orange zest works so well here, is the same reason is works so well in an old fashioned. It helps to emphasize the fruity notes of the alcohol. Orange zest adds a nice balance to the oak, vanilla and even tobacco flavors in bourbon, brandy or rum. It helps marry the flavors, while also still letting the whiskey shine. The orange zest here brightens/lightens up the heavy eggnog and tames the aggressive notes of the bourbon. The small amount of zest actually does make the drink refreshing.

Nutmeg/Cinnamon– Traditionally eggnog is topped with nutmeg. However, use cinnamon if you prefer that, both work well. I went with nutmeg in the photo, but have tried it with cinnamon and it is great! I also always grate my nutmeg fresh, the flavor is better than the pre-powdered kind but use what you have.

Why this Perfect Spiked Eggnog pairing works… In my mind.

First I have to mention the addition of the simple syrup. Yes, I know eggnog is already very sweet, so feel free to leave it out. HOWEVER, when pairing a cocktail or drink with a dessert keep in mind that the drink should be as sweet or sweeter than the actual dessert itself. Otherwise it will really emphasize the booze and bitter, throwing off the balance. There are exceptions to every rule, like coffee and donuts (yes a donut is a dessert, even if it is in the morning), however I always keep this guideline in mind when creating a dessert pairing. So I added the simple syrup and it helped this pairing out immensely.

The nice thing about this pairing is that when you make the rice pudding, you already have eggnog ready to go. The cocktail really just mimics the pudding with the different ingredients, so it combines perfectly. The eggnog and creaminess of the pudding matches the creaminess of the cocktail. At the same time, with the addition of alcohol and shaking the cocktail with ice, it brings a light contrast to cut through the fat of the pudding.

Furthermore, the brown butter in the rice pudding adds a beautiful nuttiness that mimics the oak and vanilla flavors of the bourbon. The brown butter and whiskey act as the base note to carry the combination beautifully. The cinnamon from the rice pudding also adds a beautiful spice to the cocktail that also pairs incredibly well with the orange zest. Finally the key ingredient orange zest! The orange zest balances the heavier alcohol by enhancing the fruity notes. It also brings a beautiful freshness from the orange oil expressed in the zest. This brings natural acidity that cuts the fat, without curdling the milk. The orange zest takes things that are inherently heavy and makes them light and refreshing.

This is really The Prefect Spiked Eggnog and perfectly compliments the Brown Butter Eggnog Rice Pudding. Seriously give this a go, you will not be disappointed.