I can’t help with eggnog’s reputation, but I can give you a few words of comfort regarding egg. Egg (or separated egg whites) were once a very common ingredient in cocktails. They create a smooth, frothy texture in a drink — much like a drink that’s just been shaken and aerated, but stable. And the egg used in drinks isn’t exactly “raw,” so it won’t have the cold, slimy texture of an uncooked egg. When egg is mixed with sugar, the proteins in the yolk uncoil and solidify, quite like the reaction when an egg is cooked. Now, that reaction doesn’t kill salmonella (or any other pathogens that might find their way into the eggs), but you don’t have to worry about any of that if you buy pasteurized eggs.

Here, then, is a simple recipe for eggnog — a misunderstood drink that can be pleasing, warming, and rich, and just perfect on a cold night or at a holiday party. If you’re lactose intolerant, you’ll want to avoid them, and they certainly won’t look good if you spill them on your holiday formalwear… but otherwise, enjoy! (And don’t worry about embarrassing yourself. These are so rich that you’ll have to quit drinking them well before you overindulge.)

Eggnog

• 1.5 oz brandy or rum
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg, pasteurized
• 4 oz. milk
• Cinnamon or nutmeg

Most drinks have a traceable “original” recipe (cocktail writer David Wondrich has tracked down many of them on Esquire’s drinks database.) Many have a popularly accepted recipe, and some even have a “sanctioned” recipe from the International Bartender’s Association (which I picture to be something akin to SPECTRE in the James Bond movies.) But the “right” recipe? Drinks change over time, as do tastes, and at the end of the day, the only thing that really matters is my recipe (if I’m mixing your drinks) and yours (because you should really know what you like, and how you like it.)

I mention all that because whenever I bring sangria to a party, and people ask me for the recipe (more to make conversation than because they’re actually interested), I’m at a loss. It’s a little flip, but my answer is something along the lines of “wine and fruit.” Because that’s all you really need. And that’s really how I think of sangria.

My recipe changes a bit every time I make sangria. I usually buy whatever fruit is on sale in the produce section and pick out a fairly inexpensive wine as well. (There’d be no sense in buying something complex or expensive, since we’re going to fuss with the flavor anyway. And besides, I’m a writer, so I can’t afford it.) A little bit of brandy adds some punch, and a bit of fruit juice helps to balance the flavors, but for the most part we’re just infusing wine with fruit. You’ll be surprised how well it works.

Please note that this recipe makes over a gallon of sangria; plan your guest list accordingly.

Sangria

• 4-5 bottles inexpensive red wine (if you’d prefer, you can use white instead.)
• 1/2 pint (8 oz.) brandy
• One bottle sparkling wine
• 2-3 pounds mixed fruit (for the sake of an example, let’s say a pound of strawberries, a half a honeydew, and an orange.)
• 2 cups fruit juice (anything would work, but again, if you need an example, let’s say pineapple)

The first, more refined category includes any drink with one primary spirit and secondary ingredients to complement it. Examples range from the Manhattan (vermouth and bitters to complement your bourbon) to the margarita (curacao and lime juice to punch up tequila) to the Godfather (a splash of amaretto to sweeten up a Scotch on the rocks) and countless others. Simple, classic cocktails, designed by bartenders who had limited ingredients and hoped to give their customers the best tastes possible (or at least mask the flavor of whatever rotgut booze was available in more austere times.)

The second category of drinks, like Lord Byron, are mad, bad, and dangerous to know: bizarre concoctions featuring several main spirits mixed together with no regard for the consequences. Today, a lot of drinks ordered in college bars fall under that category. A Long Island iced tea (vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and triple sec)? Three Wise Men (Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker and Jim Beam)? Sounds like a George Thorogood b-side.) A Red Death (Vodka, triple sec, amaretto, sloe gin and Southern Comfort)? Put that many different liquors in your head, and you deserve whatever hangover you get.

Many of those drinks seem to exist for no earthly reason, save for the sheer lunacy of it. Why would anyone attempt to mix three different whiskies together? Why must we live in a world in which bartenders can be expected to shake these things up? My God, why have you forsaken us?

But sometimes, those insane concoctions can yield something a bit refined. This week’s drink, Between the Sheets, is a good example. A mixture of brandy, rum, curacao, and lemon juice, Between the Sheets almost uses the brandy and rum as one liquor, with the unrefined grapey sweetness of the brandy dovetailing with the sugary vanilla flavors of the rum. It features brandy, which was once one of our most popular liquors, but has of late become an underused, forgotten spirit. If you’d like, you can look at it as a hybrid of a sidecar and a classic daiquiri. At the very least, it comes in a cocktail glass, so it’s got to be at least a couple of steps more refined than frat-boy swill like the Long Island.

Between the Sheets

• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. white rum
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake to chill and combine, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel. If you feel fancy, rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass before straining the drink.

The winning poster was sjks0427 (catchy handle!), and this is what he/she wrote:

There is a really good drink called a Keoki Coffee which has Kahlua, dark rum, brandy and creme de cacao (quarter shot of each), then add coffee and top with whipped cream. Very yummy. A lot of bars offer a version of this that include only 3 of the 4 liquors, but the original version is as stated above.

The recipe sounds like a winning concoction, and one I will be trying it this coming weekend!

As the night would be cold, we purchased apple cider to turn into a warm evening drink.  I never had made mulled cider previously, but it seemed like a simple recipe to master.  I did deviate from typical recipes that call for cinnamon sticks and used ground cinnamon instead.  I also replaced whole cloves with ground cloves.  In spite of these substitutions, I found this cider to be quite delicious.  Plus, having simmered all afternoon in our crockpot, the entire house smelled wonderful.

This recipe lends itself to crowds quite nicely.  Create a large batch in a crockpot, or if more is needed, it can be made in a stockpot.  The “kick” is added to individual glasses, so this beverage can be served without alcohol in order to quench everyone’s thirst.  If you feel like extending the extra effort, I would recommend rimming your mugs for an extra special look and taste.

With many Halloween, Thanksgiving, and assorted fall gatherings drawing near, this is a great recipe to keep nearby.

Spiked Mulled Cider

1/2 gallon cider

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 Tb. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

caramel sauce

brandy

Combine cider, 2 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in crockpot.  Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 3 hours.

Before serving, combine sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a shallow dish that is wider than the mugs (Irish coffee mugs work very well) in which you will be serving the cider.  Apply a small amount of caramel sauce to the rim of each mug.  Invert mug, and twist in cinnamon-sugar mix to coat rim.

Pour 1 ounce of brandy into each mug, and add cider to fill. Stir to combine.

Enjoy!

This New Year’s Eve we had some friends over, and I decided to make up a new drink with brandy that was light and fun.  So, I cooked up a Brandy Fizz.

TK’s New Year Brandy Fizz

• 3 parts brandy (I used a wonderful XO brandy)
• 1 part sour mix
• 1 part lemon-lime soda
• ice

Put ice, brandy, and sour mix in a shaker.  Shake with vigor for at least 30 shakes.  Pour the mixture over ice in a rocks glass.  Top with lemon-lime soda.  Can be garnished with cherries or an orange wheel.