Eggnog

The history of Eggnog traces its lineage to medieval European hot milk drinks curdled with wine or ale, most notably posset. This template flourished in colonial America, where abundant access to dairy and eggs transformed it into a popular large-batch communal punch. The tradition of fortifying this rich base shifted alongside regional economics: the primary spirit transitioned from expensive imported brandy and wine, such as sherry and Madeira, to Caribbean rum, and eventually to domestic American whiskey following the American Revolutionary War. In 1826 it famously sparked the Eggnog Riot at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

While modern cocktail mythology often attributes a heavily fortified recipe to George Washington, no such recipe has been definitively linked to him, and it does not come from the Washingtons' papers. Aged communal batches remain a holiday tradition, alongside modern single-serving builds like this one.