A Québécois band introduced eggnog to this Estate back in the Fifties by its French name lait de poule (literally, “hen’s milk”). Eggnog’s a deceptively easy drink to make and consequently a bit hard to get precisely right.
They were staying here longer than expected as we got a blizzard that shut down the road leading to the train station, so we hunkered down and they played music, skied a lot and just enjoyed themselves. So let’s talk about eggnog.
Eggnog’s history is a bit uncertain. Well more than a bit uncertain. Our Québécois visitors of course claimed their French ancestors many centuries ago were the first to combine milk, eggs, spices and some form of spirits to create a boozy, sweet drink that was wonderful cold or warm. Their claim is as reasonable as the British claim in that both could be true.
We makes ours with eggs, cream, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Oh and of course (for the adults) a healthy amount of rum. It’s important to let it age a day or so before imbibing it as the spices release their flavours better if we do.
So we start making it in eary December and keep it going until Candlemas which seems a good time at this Estate to be thinking of Winter giving way to Spring.
Oh and a certain Winter Queen has a favourite eggnog recipe that we use here quite often.
