Photo credit: Andrey Zhuravlev
Tom and Jerry cocktail
The 2019 Shepherd Express Holiday Drink Guide is presented by Discount Liquor. As your winter drink headquarters, Discount Liquor is your best bet for finding those hard-to-find beers, wines and spirits, all at amazing prices. Visit DiscountLiquorInc.com for store hours and locations.
This frothy, comforting drink is perfect for chasing away winter’s chill. It’s a variant of eggnog with brandy and rum added and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl. Upon first hearing the libation’s name, you might think its origins must have something to do with, well, Tom and Jerry—the famous cartoon characters created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. In reality, however, the drink came first. The invention of the Tom and Jerry cocktail, generally credited to British journalist Pierce Egan, occurred in the 1820s. Egan wrote a book (and subsequent play) called Life in London, in which the main characters are named Tom and Jerry.
Now that we have all that cleared out of the way, what goes into a Tom and Jerry cocktail? Exact recipes abound and slightly vary according to taste, but generally, the main ingredients are eggs (or egg whites), powdered sugar, brandy and rum. Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites until fairly stiff, and mix the egg yolks with powdered sugar. Then, put roughly a spoonful of the yolk mixture into a cup, mug or bowl, then mix with brandy and rum. Fold in some egg white, add hot milk and top with more egg white, stirring gently to fold in the egg white. Finally, top it all off with nutmeg.
Not quite up to all that? You’re in luck! Pre-made Tom and Jerry batter, typically produced by such Wisconsin manufacturers as Mrs. Bowen’s is sold in local supermarkets during the holiday season.
The 2019 Shepherd Express Holiday Drink Guide is presented by Discount Liquor.
