Recently, Jolene Handy, the fabulous writer of The Time Travel Kitchen, posted a new article “A Night of Brandy Alexanders: John Lennon, The Troubadour, and Starting Over.” The Time Travel Kitchen lives at the intersection of history and cooking, two of my lifelong obsessions. In this wonderful article, Jolene tells the story of John Lennon’s first encounter with one of my all-time favorite cocktails: the Brandy Alexander. It immediately sent me down a familiar path. In my first book, Raising the Bar, Better Drinks Better Entertaining, I devoted an entire chapter to “Nogs, Grogs, and Other Winter Holiday Warmers”.
I grew up in the Northeast, where winter meant snow days, sleds, snowball fights, and coming home soaked, bruised, and exhilarated. What awaited us were steaming mugs of hot chocolate, stacked with as many marshmallows as gravity would allow. These days, I still love cold-weather play, although I’ve just swapped sleds for skis, and hot chocolate for spiked grog or a rich, decadent nog.
So what’s the difference? Nogs are built on cream and/or eggs—thick, luxurious, and unapologetically indulgent. Grogs began as rum mixed with sugar, molasses, lemon, and water, and over time evolved into shorthand for almost any hot drink fortified with rum.
What follows are hearty mugs of potent potables, designed to warm both body and spirit, and maybe, just for a moment, take us back to those winter afternoons of our youth. Serve them after a day in the cold, alongside dessert, as dessert, or as the perfect nightcap.
Brandy Alexander
As a young bar back, and later bartender, in the early 1980’s, the Brandy Alexander had a moment. While it is a sweet-ish, creamy drink, it packs a punch from the brandy and becomes a bit more savory with the generous grating of nutmeg on top. No sissy drink for sure! I watched many a large man with deep resonant voices and thick mustaches order a Brandy Alexander as their final drink of the evening. Made properly it is sublime.
Feel free to experiment and substitute other cordial for the crème de cacao. Licor 43, Nocello, Amaretto, Kahlua, Cherry Heering all make fine substitutes with completely different flavor profiles.
Ingredients:
1 ½ ounces brandy
¾ ounces dark crème de cacao
1 ounces heavy cream
Garnish:
Fresh grated nutmeg
Glassware
Cocktail Glass
Recipe:
In a cocktail shaker add the brandy, crème de cacao, and cream. Add ice, then shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is frosty and beaded with sweat. Strain into the cocktail glasses, grate fresh nutmeg on top, and serve.
Pro Tip #1
If you have a shaker bottle for your protein drinks, place the wire ball in the cocktail shaker with the cream and no ice first. Shake the dickens out of it then add the brandy, crème de cacao and ice. The initial shake of the cream aerates the cream and makes a richer yet airier mouth feel akin to whipped cream.
Pro Tip #2
Make the drink as directed. Grate nutmeg over the top. Then take a pinch of cinnamon in one hand and hold a lighter over the drink with the other. Ignite the lighter and sprinkle the cinnamon over the flame. The cinnamon will spark and add a smoky depth to the cocktail.
Pro Tip #3
Some people are allergic to or simply do not like nutmeg. For a unique and interesting flavor, grate some orange zest and chocolate shavings on top.
Pro Tip #4
Rim the glass with cinnamon sugar before making the drink. You will be rewarded with a supremely festive cocktail!
Coquito
Coquito is an eggnog-like alcoholic beverage, but without eggs! A traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink it is creamy, decadent, and filled with sweet spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice and ginger. The classic key ingredients are coconut milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. While many home recipes include evaporated milk, I skip it in favor of more coconut milk and its exotic flavor. If you want to go completely dairy free (I often do!), there is sweetened condensed coconut milk available online and in specialty markets or use sweetened coconut cream (the stuff you use for Pina Coladas) instead of condensed milk – just be sure to mix it well.
2 oz coconut milk
1 ½ oz Dark rum
1 oz sweetened condensed milk
Generous Dash of apple or pumpkin pie spice or your favorite blend of sweet spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice and ginger
Garnish: Grated Nutmeg and/or Cinnamon Sticks and/or Coconut
Glassware: Shot Glass, Martini up or Rocks glass over ice
Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, strain into preferred glass or rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish
Pro tip 1
Adding a dash of another brown spirit such as bourbon, brandy or a sweet sherry will add a real depth of flavor and complexity.
Pro tip 2
Multiply this recipe by 10 or more and stash it in the fridge. It will last a week or so, ready for all your holiday entertainment.
Pro tip 3
Add a tablespoon of pumpkin purée to the recipe for a very decadent pumpkin pie “nog.”
Pro tip 4
Add a tablespoon of apple butter to the recipe for a very decadent apple pie “nog.”
Pro tip 5
Add a ½ ounce of peppermint schnapps or white crème de menthe to the original recipe for a very decadent peppermint bark like version.
Pro tip 6
Make the original (or any version) recipe strain into a highball glass filled with ice and top with seltzer for a Holiday Coquito version of an “Adult Egg-Cream Soda.”
My Egg Nog
Makes sixteen 4-ounce punch cups
It would not be “Bartender in The Kitchen” if I did not ask you to cook up something! So here is my version of eggnog! Truly, nothing makes the holidays festive like Eggnog. Though many nogs use raw eggs, this one is based on classic crème anglaise, so the eggs are cooked. After making this base, the variety of liquor and spices as well as the consistency is up to you. I like mine rich, thick, and loaded with warming spices. For a non-alcoholic version simply leave out the liquor and add a little more milk or cream to get the desired consistency.
Planning Ahead
The whole nog can be made up to 12 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Just give it a good whisking before serving
For the crème anglaise:
16 ounces milk
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Nog:
16 ounces milk
16 ounces heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 ounces dark rum
3 ounces bourbon
3 ounces brandy
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Fresh grated nutmeg for garnish
Grated orange zest for garnish (optional)
Glassware
Punch cups and punch bowl (see page xx)
To prepare the crème anglaise, have ready a large bowl full of ice and a double boiler or a medium-large saucepan and heatproof bowl that fits in the saucepan without touching the bottom and whose edges hang over the edges of the saucepan.
Place the milk in a saucepan over high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, stir briskly and remove from heat. Meanwhile, in the bottom of the double boiler or another saucepan add enough water so that the top half of the double boiler or the bowl does not touch the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
In the top of the double boiler or a bowl that is big enough to fit over the second saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the hot milk.
Cook the mixture over, not in, the simmering water, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove the double boiler top or the bowl from the heat and set in the bowl of ice for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vanilla extract and stir.
To prepare the eggnog, mix the crème anglaise and all remaining ingredients except the nutmeg and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Taste, adding as much of the confectioners’ sugar as you wish for a sweeter nog.
Transfer the eggnog to the punch bowl and grate over the nutmeg and orange zest, if desired. Serve.
One more for the Road!
Santaniello Family Christmas Eve Chocolate
Makes sixteen 2-ounce servings
I am not sure whether this falls under the category of hot chocolate or coffee drink. When I was growing up, my friend Steve’s mother threw the best Christmas Eve parties in the neighborhood. This drink, full of caffeine, was always served around 10 o’clock so we would be sure to be awake at midnight to ring in Christmas Day.
12 ounces strong black coffee or espresso
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup sugar
3 ounces Kahlua
3 ounces dark crème de cacao
2 ounces grappa or brandy
Whipped Cream (see page xx) for garnish (optional)
Glassware
16 espresso or small coffee cups (not mugs) (see page xx)
In a saucepan combine the coffee, chocolate, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has completely melted and the mixture is steaming hot.
Add the liquors and continue to heat, stirring well, for 1 minute.
Serve in tiny espresso cups, topped, if desired, with a dollop of whipped cream.
Merry Christmas, Nick, and thank you so much for this! 🌲 💫
Great cocktails...