With the holidays on our heels, friends and families are pulling out the decorations, putting up the Christmas tree, and stocking up on eggnog. This creamy concoction is a seasonal staple due to its sweet combination of nutmeg, sugar, and (sometimes) booze. Because of its extreme seasonality, many people have holiday memories and traditions surrounding this drink. Some are merry, others, not so much. I’ve gathered some stories from my friends who wanted to share their experience with this holiday treat.
Eggnog Defines Christmas
After church on every Christmas Eve, my friend, Mary Margaret, and her family visits a local farm store and purchases ice cream and eggnog. They then gather around the TV and watch the Catholic Pope service. While they’re watching the show, they wrap presents and sip on eggnog. She loves this holiday tradition because it brings her family together. It wouldn’t be the same without the eggnog – the drink defines Christmas.
Feeling Festive?
Another friend, Jenna, had a unique experience with eggnog. In an effort to be festive, Jenna consumed eggnog for the first (and last) time at a holiday party. She drank eggnog all night long (mixed with tequila shots, of course). I would’ve suggested a different choice of liquor, something that pairs well with the spiced drink, but Jenna was a brave soul.
At the end of the night, Jenna was a broken woman. She found herself in the handicap stall of a bathroom, emptying her life into the toilet. Luckily for her, she wasn’t alone. She had her trusty pillow to clutch during heaves and a generous roommate to rub her back while studying for a math final. Since that night, Jenna has sworn off of eggnog – and with good reason!
Champion ‘Nog Chugger
Like Jenna, I’ve also found myself cradling the toilet upon drinking eggnog. Once when I was younger, I was at an after-school program. There, they had challenges that volunteers could participate in without knowing what the challenge entailed. One day I was feeling a little ballsy and decided to volunteer. I was up on the stage with two boys and it was announced that we were participating in an eggnog chugging contest.
I was thrilled; I knew I would be able to easily win this competition since I was an avid eggnog drinker. We were each handed a half-gallon of eggnog and waited for the signal to start. Once the horn blew, I guzzled like there’s no tomorrow.
In a little over 30 seconds, I had successfully finished the bottle, blowing my competitors out of the water. I was excited that I had won, but immediately regretted it. I raced to the bathroom and threw up all of the eggnog that I had just devoured. Luckily for me, this experience didn’t scar me to the point where I can no longer drink eggnog.
Keep It In The Family
Sometimes eggnog is family history, at least it is for Caitlin. Every year Caitlin and the rest of her family gathered at her grandmother’s house to celebrate Christmas. There were always festive drinks, including her grandma’s infamous eggnog. Caitlin’s grandmother made homemade eggnog every year (spiked of course), but since Caitlin was too young to fully indulge, her grandmother made a separate batch just for her.
Even though she never got the full experience of the eggnog, she took pride in knowing that her grandma made it. The family would then sit around the tree and do Secret Santa, with everyone sipping away merrily. The ‘nog mustaches always made for a good laugh too!
Memories are deeply rooted in food. The moment you taste a specific food, you’re instantly thrown back into a different time. For some, eggnog brings about that special moment. So, what’s in your noggin when you’re drinking that ‘nog?