I repost this every year about this time, because I’m a man on a mission. You see, I love egg nog, but I can’t stand the thick, gelatinous goop they sell at the grocery store. Even if you were to cut it with alcohol, it’s still so overly-pasteurized and full of preservatives that it would be anything but enjoyable to slug down at a Christmas party. So I set about concocting the simplest, tastiest Egg Nog recipe I could, and here’s what I came up with.
In terms of cocktail history, Egg Nog is nothing more than a brandy or rum (or both) flip made with the addition of cream or milk. The 1862 Bar-Tender’s Guide by Jerry Thomas calls for a nog made up of a tablespoon of bar sugar, a tablespoon of water, a whole egg, cognac, rum and milk, shaken and strained, with some nutmeg grated on top. The problem I have with Thomas’ recipe is all the extra water that comes from the melting of the ice, not to mention that extra half ounce he calls for. Watery egg nog, anyone? Yeah, no thanks.
So I did a lot of research, in cookbooks and on the web, and tried a bunch of different recipes and methods. Some called for cooking the eggs into sort of a custard, but that’s a heck of a lot of work and results in a thick glop. Others required separating the eggs, beating them independently, and folding them together. But again, it’s thick and I’m lazy.
This is the recipe I devised. It can be made in just about any home or bar, since the ingredients are fairly simple. It can be done entirely in a blender, so there are no whisks or beaters or rubber spatulas or stovetops needed. It yields two healthy servings, so you can easily multiply it to serve more. It doesn’t use a ton of heavy cream, so it’s fairly light. In other words, it’s practically perfect.
2 large eggs
3 oz (by volume) granulated sugar
½ tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
2 oz brandy
2 oz spiced rum (I use Sailor Jerry’s)
6 oz whole milk
4 oz heavy cream
Beat eggs in blender for one minute on medium speed. Slowly add sugar and blend for one additional minute. With blender still running, add nutmeg, brandy, rum, milk and cream until combined. Chill thoroughly to allow flavors to combine and serve in chilled wine glasses or champagne coupes, grating additional nutmeg on top immediately before serving.
One note about blenders. This recipe works great in home blenders, but the commercial models are designed to heat whatever they’re blending, which can result in scrambled eggs by the time you get around to the sugar. If you’re using a Vita-Mix or similar commercial blender, cut that initial blend time down to a quarter minute or so.
My problem with homemade tonic water has always been a flavor profile that was too esoteric for the general audience. This recipe takes some of the positive qualities people have come to understand from commercial tonic water and updated them with fresh ingredients.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
The problem with living in Oregon is the absence of little wooden shacks by the sea that sell cases of fresh ginger beer stacked on back porches. But with some readily-available ingredients, a recipe I've been revising for several years - and a few free minutes - I can easily transport myself to a little fishing boat on the ocean as I sip a Dark and Stormy made with fresh, house-made ginger beer.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning "little blood") is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The debate rages on: Should we try to look cool and crack open the Boston shaker or be tidy professionals and use the Hawthorne strainer the way God intended? Be sure to leave your two cents in the comments section.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Bel Ami in Eugene, Oregon.
I'm 36, I've been tending bar for 12 years and writing about it for 5. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
…are coming to Eugene! The authors of one of my favorite books (and many others) are going to be in town for a very special pairing dinner at one of my favorite restaurants (and previous employer: hi, guys!). I just made my reservation after receiving this in my inbox:
Please join us [Wednesday, August 6] for an evening of food, wine and insight at Marché, with two of our favorite writers. Enjoy a tasting menu with wine pairings and discussion with Washington Post wine columnists Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, winners of the 2007 IACP “Cookbook of the Year” award and the Georges Duboeuf “Wine Book of the Year” award for What To Drink With What You Eat, and James Beard Award-winning authors of Becoming A Chef, Culinary Artistry, and other bestselling titles.
We’ll have a fabulous tasting menu, wine pairings (and some fascinating non-wine pairings) and a copy of the book for you, plus a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Jane Eyre McDonald Voice Scholarship Fund at the Eugene Hearing & Speech Center.
No mention of the wine (or “fascinating non-wine”) pairings, but knowing those involved there will be no disappointments. (See menu below)
If you live in or near Eugene, this is the culinary event of the summer. Dinner is $100 per person, and reservations are not only required but will be moving quickly. Call (541) 342-3612, Extension 2 for reservations. See you there!
Menu
Amuse Bouche
Northwest oyster with cucumber granita
First Course
Albacore crudo with capers, lemon, arugula & olive oil
I’m pairing the drinks. Wines with every course, tentatively as follows: Bubbly with the amuse, pinot blanc with the albacore crudo, a roussanne with the pasta course, pinot noir with the duck, a syrah with the cheese course and a late harvest viognier with dessert. All subject to change (and producers to be confirmed), especially if I can find a way to work a rosé in there.
In addition to the wines, in the wide-ranging and inclusive spirit of the book I plan to pair a saison beer with the pasta course and a whiskey- or brandy-based cocktail (recipe to be devised) with the duck. In the spirit of my self-righteous closed-mindedness I will not be pairing tea or especially particular kinds of water with anything other than the couple aspirin I take the next morning.
This dinner should be really, really great, as should the speakers. Plus, everyone who attends gets a copy of the book. Since it’s a benefit, you might be able to write the dinner off as a tax-deductible donation, too, although you should probably consult someone considerably smarter than me on the particulars of that.
Things are really starting to ramp up for the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition on December 5th! Today I received a package from the folks at Old Forester bourbon, who are showing their support of my favorite day by releasing a limited edition Repeal Day bottling of their whiskey.
From the press release:
“Repeal [...]
…are coming to Eugene! The authors of one of my favorite books (and many others) are going to be in town for a very special pairing dinner at one of my favorite restaurants (and previous employer: hi, guys!). I just made my reservation after receiving this in my inbox:
25 Jul 2008 at 4:11 pm 1. Chris
Holy smokes that’s awesome! One of my favorite books as well & a really great educational work in general.
Have fun man!
25 Jul 2008 at 4:13 pm 2. Matt Lanning
what’s the date of this one? looked on the Marche site, but no word there, either…
26 Jul 2008 at 4:13 am 3. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Uh, oops, sorry, Matt. It’s Wednesday, August 6th. 6PM
26 Jul 2008 at 7:38 am 4. Jeff Frane
Is Ryan involved in the wine choices? I know that Marché has a great wine list, so the decisions are likely to be adventurous.
26 Jul 2008 at 1:18 pm 5. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
I’m hoping Ryan and James West are involved in putting something together.
26 Jul 2008 at 2:04 pm 6. Eugenia
Looks wonderful — I’ll be there in spirit!
27 Jul 2008 at 11:20 am 7. Ryan Dawe-Stotz
I’m pairing the drinks. Wines with every course, tentatively as follows: Bubbly with the amuse, pinot blanc with the albacore crudo, a roussanne with the pasta course, pinot noir with the duck, a syrah with the cheese course and a late harvest viognier with dessert. All subject to change (and producers to be confirmed), especially if I can find a way to work a rosé in there.
In addition to the wines, in the wide-ranging and inclusive spirit of the book I plan to pair a saison beer with the pasta course and a whiskey- or brandy-based cocktail (recipe to be devised) with the duck. In the spirit of my self-righteous closed-mindedness I will not be pairing tea or especially particular kinds of water with anything other than the couple aspirin I take the next morning.
This dinner should be really, really great, as should the speakers. Plus, everyone who attends gets a copy of the book. Since it’s a benefit, you might be able to write the dinner off as a tax-deductible donation, too, although you should probably consult someone considerably smarter than me on the particulars of that.
27 Jul 2008 at 7:20 pm 8. Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Ryan, that sounds fantastic. And if you need any help researching whiskey or brandy (wink, wink), just be sure to let me know.
See you then!
31 Jul 2008 at 5:52 pm 9. 6th Floor Bloggers
That sounds like fun, I love that book!