The Fall Ingredient That Adds A Festive Twist To Store-Bought Eggnog

"We only get 30 sweet, noggy days, then the government takes it away again," so says the prophetic and goofy icon of American culture: Homer Simpson. While the United States government doesn't actually mandate eggnog production, there's no doubt that the drink is, like a Christmas tree, only welcome in the home for about a month out of the year. However, it might be time to think bigger and more autumnal. Serving your nog with a pumpkin twist can give the drink new life. Now, spiced versions of the drink have been found in grocery stores for years. But few to none of these drinks actually include pumpkin. And that's a shame, because adding pumpkin to your eggnog might just be the refreshing twist the infamously rich drink needs. 

To make pumpkin eggnog, you can either incorporate pumpkin puree into the store-bought beverage or make eggnog from scratch and mix pumpkin in during the cooking process. The amount you add depends on your batch size. Only 1 or 2 tablespoons of puree is enough for a single serving, while a whole can would work for a larger batch (about twelve 4-ounce servings). You'll want to add in pumpkin spices as well, as they'll help round out the pumpkin flavor. To combine pre-made nog with canned pumpkin, like this organic option from Amazon's Happy Belly brand, simply pop both ingredients in a blender and voilà! You've got pumpkin eggnog.

It may, at first, seem strange to pair pumpkin with eggnog. However, their flavors are almost perfectly matched. You can think of this autumnal take on the festive drink as a merger between an aromatic and custardy pumpkin pie and the perfect nutmeg-infused nog. Both feature warm spices and a thick, rich consistency. So, to create a cohesive pumpkin eggnog, you'll want to play up the similarities between these two fall staples.

Let's start with the nutmeg. As a key ingredient in both pumpkin pie and eggnog, its warm, sweet scent and taste round out both holiday staples. To really play up its flavor, you can either freshly grate and toast your nutmeg, or toast jarred nutmeg, like this already-ground option from Simply Organic. This will help bring out its warmth to complement both the sweetness of the nog and the complexity of the pumpkin taste. Cinnamon is another key spice in pumpkin pie and eggnog. It can be infused into a batch of nog by simmering it in the store-bought beverage on the stovetop. This will help to bring out the spice's aromatic elements in a subtle, suffused way.

If you choose to prepare a spiked version of this pumpkin-infused drink, rum or brandy are classic options. Whiskey will also work and highlight the warmth of the spiced beverage. Meanwhile, tequila can help bring out some greener, more earthy notes from the pumpkin. There's (almost) no going wrong. Just maybe don't add gin — that's better left for the cranberry crowd.