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Experience some holiday magic with this Gingerbread Spiked Eggnog Cocktail! Blending creamy eggnog (rompope) with aromatic spiced rum and rich brandy, it’s the perfect festive indulgence.
Is it really the holiday season without a glass of velvety eggnog? It captures the very essence of the festive season.
The classic drink gets infused with adult Christmas spirit in this holiday cocktail crafted with spiced rum and brandy. Gingerbread cookies in your choice of shape – gingerbread men, reindeer, Christmas tree – keeps it fun and playful.
It’s ideal for all types of holiday festivities! Enjoy it with an array of holiday dishes such as this traditional Mexican Christmas Eve Salad, Smoked Trout Platter, Guatemalan ceviche and German-inspired Riesling Soup.
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Why You Will Love This Eggnog Cocktail Recipe
At our home in Guatemala, both eggnog (or rompope as it’s known throughout Latin America) and ponche de frutas (hot fruit punch) are popular Christmas drinks to toast the holiday season.
Along with typical Guatemalan foods such as tamales, they’re served during traditional celebrations such as La Quema del Diablo (December 7th) and Las Posadas, the nightly processions leading to Christmas Eve or Nochebuena.
This eggnog cocktail recipe kicks the traditional drink up a notch by adding spiced rum and gingerbread. Here’s why we love it:
- Balanced Flavours: Subtle notes of vanilla and caramel of spiced rum gives eggnog an especially smooth, full-bodied flavour.
- Perfect Cocktail for All Your Holiday Events: Spiked eggnog makes a wonderful addition to a holiday brunch, parties, or even for a special treat on a quiet night at home for yourself and your favourite people during the holidays.
- Simple Ingredients: All you need are a handful of simple ingredients to make a creamy eggnog rum cocktail.
Ingredients
Here’s a look at the ingredients you need to make eggnog cocktails this holiday season. Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list and quantities of each.
- Ginger cookies: You can use a gingerbread man cookie or a ginger snap! Both work but I think the gingerbread man cookies make a more festive presentation. Your going to need some for crushing and coating the rim and also for the garnish.
- Spiced rum: Captain Morgan’s or another brand of spiced rum works great. If you want to read up on different types of rum you can check this Apple Cider Mojito Cocktail for more details on the best rums.
- Brandy: This liquor made from distilling wine is often fruity and sweet but the flavour may vary depending on the type of fruit used to make it and how it is produced.
- Eggnog: You can make this eggnog cocktail with purchased or homemade eggnog. Store bought eggnog is pasteurized (for safety reasons). It’s also homogenized so the cream won’t separate and rise to the top.
- Nutmeg: I recommend topping your cocktail with freshly-grated nutmeg. It’s completely optional but it adds an extra boost of seasonal flavour to holiday ‘nog.
PRO TIP: Use up any extra eggnog to make a batch of chocolate eggnog cookies.
Substitutions and Variations
- Classic Rum Eggnog Cocktail. Use dark or white rum for the brandy in combination with the spiced rum.
- Non-Alcoholic Version. Leave out the rum and brandy but add a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other warming spices to the eggnog to give it a similar spiced flavour. Dip the glass rim in a bit of simple syrup or some eggnog and then dip into the cookies.
- Blended Frozen Eggnog Cocktail. Place the ice and ingredients in a blender and blend until the mixture is creamy.
- Tryout Different Flavourings on the Glass Rim. Dip in caramel, cinnamon sugar, or chocolate for something a little different.
- Add Some Whipped Cream. If you want to take your easy eggnog cocktail over the top add some whipped cream on top.
- Other Flavours. For a non-traditional take on the classic holiday eggnog cocktail, try Amaretto, a coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua) or even a cinnamon liqueur.
- No Gingerbread Cookies. No gingerbread cookies? Use a cinnamon stick as garnish or champurradas, the Guatemalan biscotti-type cookie.
How to Make an Eggnog Cocktail
Are you ready to mix up this festive cocktail? Here’s a look at the process but I recommend checking the recipe card for all the details.
- Make the Cookie Rimmed Glass. Crush the gingerbread cookie into fine crushed crumbs. Dip the rim of your glass into a bit of the liquor or some eggnog and dip it into the cookie crumbs.
- Mix the Cocktail. Add the ice to the shaker glass along with the spiced rum and brandy.
- Shake It Up. Add the eggnog to the shaker and then shake until it’s well mixed. Pour the drink and ice into the rimmed glass.
- Garnish and Serve. Use a microplane to grate a dusting of fresh nutmeg over the top of the cocktail. Add the gingerbread cookie to the glass.
Serve up your eggnog cocktails and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- No Shaker? Don’t worry you can easily add everything to the glass and stir it up!
- Serving a Crowd? You can easily double or triple the recipe. Mix up the eggnog, spiced rum, and brand in a pitcher and serve it along with a bucket of ice on the side.
- Serve Chilled for Best Flavour. Eggnog is always best served chilled!
- Making Ahead of Time? Mix the eggnog and liquors up and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Stir before serving.
- Food Safety. If you’re making eggnog at home, check Health Canada‘s guidelines regarding raw egg safety.
Recipe FAQs
It’s pretty simple. First, crack open the outer shell to expose the seed inside. Then use a zester to grate the inner seed. Freshly grated nutmeg has a cleaner, more intense flavour than store-bought ground nutmeg.
While brandy, Madeira wine and sherry were the traditional liquors added to eggnog when it originated in medieval Britain, now dark, golden and spiced rums are the most popular flavours.
It’s a creamy drink that’s a blend of milk or cream, beaten eggs, sugar, and nutmeg. It’s usually available in the refrigerator sections of grocery stores in mid-October since it’s traditionally enjoyed at Christmastime.
Dark or golden rum are the best alcohols to spike eggnog with. The deep, rich caramel and molasses notes from the charred barrels used for aging complement the sweet spices in eggnog.
More Festive Holiday Drink Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a comment further down if you REALLY like it. Thanks!
Spiked Eggnog Cocktail with Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon gingersnap or gingerbread cookie crumbs
- ½ – ¾ cup ice
- ¾ oz. spiced rum Captain Morgan’s or spiced rum of choice
- ½ oz. brandy
- 4 oz. eggnog purchased or homemade
- 1 gingerbread man cookie or gingersnap purchased or homemade
- Freshly-grated nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Crush the gingersnap cookie into crumbs, if not using store-bought crumbs.
- Dip or brush the rim of your glass of choice into a bit of liquor or eggnog. Then dip it into the cookie crumbs.
- Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
- Add in the spiced rum, brandy, and the eggnog.
- Shake it up until well combined and pour all the ingredients (including ice) into the rimmed glass.
- Garnish with freshly-grated nutmeg and gingerbread cookie.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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- No Shaker? Don’t worry you can easily add everything to the glass and stir it up!
- Serving a Crowd? You can easily double or triple the recipe. Mix up the eggnog, spiced rum, and brand in a pitcher and serve it along with a bucket of ice on the side. Stir before serving.
- Serve Chilled for Best Flavour. Eggnog is always best served chilled!
Nutrition
Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.
Read more about Michele Peterson.
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