How To Choose The Best Bourbon For Your Eggnog

Eggnog's been boozy since Medieval monks brewed their own libation with milk, figs, spices, and wine or beer. Later, the noble folk showed off their wealth by ladling sherry into the drink. In Colonial America, farms were laden with eggs and cheap rum from the Caribbean got blended in their "nog." George Washington's recipe was perhaps the booziest with healthy pours of rum, brandy, rye, and sherry. But according to Molly Horn, Chief Mixologist and Spirits Educator at Total Wine & More, bourbon is the best spirit for the traditional holiday drink. "Eggnog's overall sweetness — and the fact that it's at its coziest with plenty of warm kitchen spice flavors," Horn told Tasting Table, "means that it is best with a slightly spicier bourbon." 

If you're a novice to bourbon, and want to know the difference between bourbon and rye whiskey, Horn filled us in as to why it's perfect for eggnog. "All bourbon is made from at least 51% corn, but some bourbons have a higher percentage of rye in the remaining 49% of the mash bill that can be made up of any combination of grains (primarily rye, wheat, and barley), and those are commonly referred to as high-rye bourbons." Regular bourbon usually has 12% to 15% rye in the mash bill, but high-rye bourbon has 20% to 35% rye, which Horn explained has sweeter characteristics with notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak, accentuated by clove and peppery spice, which, together, will elevate eggnog to another level.

Martha Stewart is also partial to bourbon in her infamously boozy eggnog recipe that, in her viral video, she winkingly warns "remember, one per person." She recommends Maker's Mark bourbon for her eggnog, which is known for its fine line of bourbons. Molly Horn also encourages you to spend a little more for your eggnog's bourbon, but "you certainly don't need to splurge. No need to use that pricier bottle you've been saving for special occasions, but a step up from an everyday bourbon will go a long way." 

Her favorite is a high-rye bourbon, Wolcott Bourbon, a reasonably priced selection from Barton 1792 Distillery. It has all the holiday flavors that she believes really transform an easy homemade eggnog recipe into an especially festive holiday drink, and as a bonus, Wolcott Bourbon is "at a price point that makes it that I don't feel guilty mixing it." If you're not glugging a bottle into your eggnog's punch bowl as Stewart does, you're sure to have more of your superb high-rye bourbon to savor, and Horn suggests using it for when you're making a perfect Old Fashioned or even sipping it neat, which is one of the best ways to enjoy any whiskey, "so you'll have plenty of enjoyment out of it outside of creamy drinks."