What's in eggnog?

Among all of the “once a year” foods that show during the holidays, festive drinks are a thing too. One of those drinks is eggnog. It’s been around since colonial times (George Washington had a recipe) but today you can buy it premade in a carton. So what’s in eggnog? Here’s what’s in traditional eggnog or what you’ll need if making it yourself:

1. Egg yolks - the number of yolks varies between recipes, but they’re always there and usually left raw (store-bought eggnog has been pasteurized)
2. Sugar - usually around a cup for a batch
3. Whole Milk - one pint of rich whole milk is the foundation for eggnog
4. Heavy Cream - adding to the richness of the drink even more, heavy cream is added
5. Bourbon/Rum/Cognac - the choice of liquor, or none at all, is personal preference but a brown spirit of some kind is usually acceptable
6. Nutmeg - best when freshly ground, nutmeg is added to a glass of eggnog before serving

*Optional - some recipes call for whipped egg whites to be added in, as it opens the drink up a bit and utilizes the whites you have left from separating the yolks

Store-bought eggnog usually swaps the sugar for corn syrup and reduces the amount of egg yolks due to government regulations. There are also additional stabilizers like guar gum and carrageenan added. As you could probably guess, either kind of eggnog is high in calories and fat. A typical 1-cup serving with no alcohol has 343 calories and 19g fat (11g saturated) as well as 50% of your daily value of cholesterol, so enjoy in moderation.

SOURCES
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/eggnog-recipe2-2013745
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-eggnog-made-out-of_n_5a2aaf0ae4b069ec48acbf03
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/55/2