One Simple Trick Will Make Store-Bought Eggnog Taste Homemade

Many brands of store-bought eggnog are so thick that their consistency is closer to a McDonald's eggnog milkshake than an egg-infused holiday drink that's meant to be savored slowly. Fortunately, shaking the 'nog in a martini shaker sans ice emulsifies ingredients that are at odds with one another and adds air to the drink, giving it a nice, frothy cohesiveness that all the most definitive homemade eggnog recipes have in spades, but is lacking in commercial eggnog recipes. Who knew that "shaken, not stirred" would do more than make your old-fashioned chocolate martini taste grand?

Shaking the eggnog with a few cubes of ice can make the drink even more enjoyable, taking the lip-puckering sweet flavor that many bottled 'nogs boast and turning the beverage into something that tastes closer to the classic Christmas drink your grandma used to make. As with a martini, shaken eggnog calls for ice, as it serves a crucial function. Aside from turning up the drink's chill factor, the ice dilutes the 'nog a bit, cutting through that over-the-top sweetness of store-bought eggnog. In this respect, the ice serves a similar function as boozy additions like rum or brandy do, but without the alcoholic kick.

As for how to put this 'nog tip to the test, the best results come from an eggnog that's basically shaken within an inch of its life. The shaking action activates the yolks, the emulsifiers in the drink, which encourage all of the ingredients to blend together rather than stay separate and super thick — at least, for a while. This technique also helps give the drink a pleasantly frothy consistency. As for how long you should be shaking your 'nog, aim for at least 15 seconds.

A cocktail shaker with a built-in strainer, like Etens' drink mixer, is the tool you need here. While the strainer won't be as necessary if you don't shake your eggnog with ice, it's a drink-saver if you do. The strainer catches the ice in this drink, just as it would with a shaken martini, keeping it in the shaker. Creamy eggnog, and eggnog alone, goes into the glass.

Conversely, if you find yourself short of a 'tini shaker, try a bottle or container with a lid. A lidded Mason jar works, for instance. If that's not in your cupboard, a thermos or even a water bottle with a wide lid would work. Once you're ready to serve your chilled, shaken 'nog, top your mug or glass with a cooking funnel and then pour; this will prevent it from spilling all over the sides of your glass. Voilà! Mess averted.

Nowadays, you'll find both boozy and plain eggnog in the grocery store's refrigerated section. In more ancient days, the alcohol in the 'nog served a purpose: It killed off any harmful bacteria, like Salmonella. Thanks to the good scientists at Rockefeller University, we know that eggnog that contains 20% alcohol — bourbon and rum, for scientific purposes — likely helps keep the drink from turning into a liquid petri dish, too.

From the perspective of flavor, this fact is less relevant considering that booze-infused eggnog plain tastes good, particularly when it's shaken up with a handful of ice cubes. While rum and bourbon have remained classic eggnog options, more modern recipes say that pretty much anything goes. Tequila, sherry, even Kahlúa would jack up the flavor quotient of this holiday cocktail.

If you're not one for adding alcohol to your shaken eggnog, you're not without options when it comes to flavoring it. Granted, some brands of eggnog already come with some kind of added flavors, allowing you to get straight to the drinking stage without thinking about spices. However, if you've purchased 'nog without that extra yum factor, you'll want to look to tradition for ideas. Throughout the years, people have topped their 'nog with the likes of cinnamon and nutmeg. McCormick's apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice also work here. Brown sugar, chocolate, or maple syrup might also be most excellent in this combo. In the latter case, you definitely want to shake the maple syrup in with the eggnog for thorough mixing to get a treat that's as cheery as Santa's grin on Christmas morning.