Eggnog: A History
medieval posset, colonial American eggnog, a military academy riot, and the supermarket carton — the full history.
The short answer
Eggnog descends from the medieval posset (hot milk curdled with ale or wine — a comfort and remedy drink that elites enriched with eggs and sherry), crossed the Atlantic where colonial America — rum plentiful, dairy available — made it its own. The drink's institutional lore includes the 1826 Eggnog Riot at West Point (cadets smuggling whiskey to spike the barracks eggnog, court-martials following). The 20th century industrialized it into the supermarket carton — the seasonal dairy-aisle default of the 80s childhood — while the homemade tier never left.
Posset to colonial eggnog
The drink's English ancestry is the posset: hot milk, curdled with ale or sack, spiced — a sickroom-and-comfort staple that the wealthy layered with eggs and cream into the eggnog family. In colonial America the form found its economy: rum (the Caribbean trade) replaced sack, dairies and hens made the base cheap, and eggnog became the American winter-social drink — Washington's own recipe survives in his papers (rye whiskey, rum, sherry — the serious tier). The name's etymology is debated (nog possibly from noggin, a strong ale, or an egg-and-grog contraction) — like the drink, sturdy and murky.
The riot and the custom
The 1826 Eggnog Riot: West Point cadets, facing a whiskey ban over the Christmas eggnog tradition, smuggled liquor, spiked the nog, and the resulting two-day disorder led to court-martials and expulsions — the event that guarantees eggnog a permanent footnote in American military history. Beyond the lore, the custom's structure: the communal bowl, the family recipe with its ratios defended like doctrine, the kids' version, and the annual first-cup that marks the season's true start for many households.
Cartons, safety, and the modern cup
The 20th century industrialized the drink: pasteurized, cartoned eggnog — a seasonal dairy-aisle staple by mid-century, peak carton in the 70s-80s childhood — plus the safety tier's modern turn (raw-egg concerns moved homemade recipes toward cooked-custard bases; the store carton is pasteurized and safe as-is). The craft tier's revival runs parallel to cocktail culture: fresh-grated nutmeg (non-negotiable), proper ratios, the bourbon-rum-brandy debates, and the non-alcoholic versions for the kids' table. December's default drink has a centuries-old pedigree; treat it with respect and fresh nutmeg.
FAQ
What is eggnog descended from?
The medieval posset — hot milk curdled with ale or wine — enriched with eggs and sherry, then Americanized with rum into colonial eggnog.
What was the Eggnog Riot?
Christmas 1826 at West Point: cadets smuggled whiskey to spike barracks eggnog against a ban; the fallout brought court-martials — eggnog's most famous historical event.
Is carton eggnog safe?
Yes — commercially produced eggnog is pasteurized. Homemade raw-egg versions carry the classic risks; cooked-custard recipes are the safe homemade route.