The holiday season is swirling with festive drinks, from hot chocolate to peppermint mochas and sugar cookie lattes to Christmas-themed cocktails. But if there’s any drink that you should be sipping this season, it’s eggnog. The rich, sweet, spiced drink is basically a Christmas milkshake that comes around once a year and unlike Christmas presents, you don’t have to wait until Christmas day to drink it. But the drink is not without controversy. A number of people say bah humbug to eggnog, lambasting it with complaints about texture and taste. It feels like some Grinch behavior to hate eggnog, but if eggnog haters are the Grinch than I’m a Who here to sing to you about why eggnog is not just a good holiday drink, but the best holiday drink, thanks to its sheer versatility as both a drink and an ingredient and its ability to spread holiday cheer.
Haters claim it’s the raw eggs, but then happily eat cookie dough
Taste and texture are the main crimes eggnog is accused of committing. People find the thickness to be too intense and the idea of milk being thick is alarming to people. Which would make sense until you remember that milkshakes exist — ice cream is sweet milk that’s frozen and turned into a sweet thick milk beverage. Then there’s the taste, which people dislike because they find it too sweet or they don’t like the spices.
Some of the dislike of, or even unwillingness to try, eggnog stems from a fear of the eggs the drink contains. That could be a fair argument (unless you eat cookie dough, in which case you have no say because cookie dough contains raw egg) because salmonella can be a fright, but store-bought eggnog is made with pasteurized eggs, meaning you’re good to go give it a try. Homemade eggnog — the making of the actual eggnog, not just mixing with alcohol — can also be safe since you can buy pasteurized eggs. If someone else offers you their homemade eggnog and you don’t feel comfortable, pass and enjoy some from the carton later.
People have poured out their feelings about eggnog on the internet. Reddit user Ezrajones said of the drink, “Eggnog feels like drinking a very thick paste. I didn’t eat glue as a kid but this is what I bet glue tastes like…Eggnog tastes like perfumed Christmas potpourri.” User shakensunshine said, “Yuck. Looks, feels and tastes like snot.” But eggnog has many staunch supporters too. Reddit user @Mediocre-Hat7980 said, “Eggnog is literally the best thing on this God forsaken planet,” while @TheDarkLight1 chimed in, “sounds nasty; but its sooo good with or without rum and nutmeg.”
Eggnog is delicious — and unlike hot chocolate, it’s an actual Christmas drink
Just like the color pairing of red and green or the imagery of Santa Claus, eggnog screams the holiday season. Unlike hot chocolate, which, while great, is a winter drink not a Christmas drink, eggnog is specific to Christmas. The limited-edition aspect of the drink plays to the nostalgia of the holiday season, invoking festive memories like the ghost of Christmas past. And then there’s the taste. Eggnog is like a melted Christmas milkshake or liquid dessert. Its sweet, spiced flavor is as addictive as it is festive, bringing the same holiday joy as candy canes or chocolate Santas. If anything were to be described as tasting like Christmas, it would be eggnog.
The sipping quality is one of eggnog’s greatest strengths. Because it’s sweet and thick, it forces you not to chug eggnog in one go. You have to slow down and savor it. Eggnog is a relaxing drink perfect for a relaxing evening. Plus, eggnog is cold, which goes great with all the hot foods served at Christmas. Even though it’s cold outside, sometimes what you need is a cold glass of goodness to cool you down after running errands for the holidays.
Eggnog is also quick and customizable. If you’re not making it, then it’s a no-prep drink. And even if you are adding alcohol to it, it’s still a fast way to get your mittens on a Christmas cocktail. You can top it with additional goodies like cinnamon or nutmeg, or whipped cream or candy canes. And if you do happen to find it too sweet or too thick, try adding milk. One reddit user recommends “1/3 eggnog to 2/3 skim milk.”
Eggnog’s versatility is where the drink shines
Eggnog is the best because it’s not just a good-tasting, festive treat to sip on all season long. Eggnog has something to offer for everybody, making for a good standalone drink, a good drink mixer, and even a baking ingredient.
Eggnog is great as is, straight out of the carton (or pot, if you make your own), making it a sweet holiday drink that people of all ages can enjoy for Christmas from the kids to your grandma. Plus, it’s a great option during the holidays for those who don’t drink. But if grandma wants something boozy, eggnog works for that too. Alcoholic eggnog is a seasonal staple that works as a great party drink or something to sip on after a long day of wrapping presents.
Alcohol isn’t the only thing you mix eggnog with, either. It makes for an insanely good coffee creamer. Forget the coffee shop eggnog latte and just grab your brand of choice (I’m a Southern Comfort person all the way) from the fridge and have a very merry morning.
If you’re not in the mood for a drink, eggnog still has you covered, as the drink makes a great ingredient in baked goods and other desserts, including Eggnog bread, eggnog ice cream, eggnog cookies, and eggnog cinnamon rolls. Whether you’re sipping (or drinking straight from the bottle), mixing it into coffee or specialty cocktails, or baking with it, eggnog is a delicious drink of true holiday cheer.