The Bold Rum Swap You Should Consider For Your Next Spiked Eggnog

Eggnog is a sweet, spiced, velvety treat many of us look forward to enjoying the moment temperatures start to drop. It's tasty and cozy and symbolizes coming together during the holidays. It's also often seen as a pretty firmly rooted classic, its booze source coming from brandy or, perhaps more commonly, rum. But just because this dessert-like drink has been around in America since the 18th century doesn't mean it has to stop evolving. You can keep the creamy eggnog part and change up elements like the alcohol to bring out different flavors. And one of our favorite swaps is using tequila instead of rum.

Portland-based bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler is widely credited for this brilliant eggnog upgrade. Known for inspired swaps and twists that push classic cocktails forward — like his substituting Jägermeister for tequila in a margarita – Morgenthaler ultimately created a new holiday staple with his tequila eggnog as part of a series in which he experimented with other alcohol sources for different flavors, like rye whiskey and vermouth.

In Morgenthaler's recipe, and those developed by others since, añejo or reposado tequila easily and deliciously takes rum's place because of the agave spirit's notes of vanilla, cinnamon, fruit, and other spices. It fits right into eggnog's custardy profile while punching up its spices and brightening the taste with hints of citrus that balance the drink's richness beautifully.

The first step to making this rum swap is choosing the right tequila. There are six different types of tequila, largely differentiated by how long they've been aged. You could use white, or unaged, tequila, and you'll still get some nice fruit and spice notes. But without time in oak barrels, the warmer, sweeter qualities that perfectly match eggnog won't be present. You'd want to add another spirit or liqueur for more depth, which we'll come to in a moment. Reposado tequila is aged for at least two months, añejo for a minimum of a year. With their oak, caramel, and vanilla flavors, plus their brighter fruit characteristics, they're a better match for rum and even a complex upgrade. 

You can, as mentioned, also bring in another type of alcohol to further play with eggnog's flavor profile. Morgenthaler's, for example, utilizes sherry, a Spanish fortified wine that ties eggnog back to centuries of tradition — Europeans drank eggnog with sherry as early as the 1600s while rum took center stage in America because it was to get. Sherry would bring a dry-finishing, nutty quality to tequila's vanilla sweetness and fruit brightness. You could also play up that richness-tempering brightness with an orange liqueur, or bring in decadent, roasted-sweet notes with a coffee liqueur. Tequila and any other booze you decide to add can go right into your easy homemade eggnog recipe, or can be stirred into some of the best store-bought eggnogs.