The Best Holiday Cocktails: Bourbon Eggnog

Now that we have chickens laying eggs, making fresh bourbon eggnog is on the menu every Christmas. Let me tell you, store-bought eggnog doesn’t hold a candle to homemade. What I love about eggnog is drizzling a little bit into my coffee each morning (without the bourbon, of course)! I always get giddy when I see it in the stores, because then it is fair game to make a fresh batch of my own homemade eggnog, with or without the bourbon.

Eggnog has been a tradition in my family as long as I can remember. We were each given a some mixed in our milk each night from Mom. We were never allowed to have straight eggnog, Mom claimed it was “too rich.” She really must have drilled that into my brain because now every time I drink it straight I feel so guilty! (Or maybe it’s the calories…) 

That said, it’s Christmas, so we can splurge and drink some eggnog straight-up. Or even better, we can drink Bourbon Eggnog.  Speaking of bourbon, every time bourbon comes to mind, I think of my  brother and my Kentucky-born sister-in-law. If you want to meet bourbon connoisseurs just talk to them.  They collect bottles of it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have 50 brands stocked in their bar. For this recipe we used Buffalo Trace, which my brother considers his “everyday drinker”. If you don’t like bourbon, brandy tastes really great in eggnog, too. Although I am pretty sure my brother and sister-in-law would shake their head in disbelief.  

Let’s get to the recipe, shall we? If you don’t have time, pin it for later. 

Also, don’t forget to check out our other Twelve Days of Holiday Cocktails, all at The House + Hive.  You can also ensure you never miss a thing by following The House + Hive on Facebook.