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Synergy and cinnamon schnapps make the Eggnog Martini work
• by By Anne Earney • Photo by Jonathan Swegle
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My first memory involving eggnog dates to when I was 13 and staying overnight at a friend’s house. Her parents give me eggnog to drink. I lay awake all night, wondering if they were trying to poison me. While it might be that I was a paranoid little twit, it might also just be that I took to eggnog like a reindeer takes to waterskiing.
Over the years I’ve become less concerned about poisoning, so it was with a cheerful holiday manner that I tried the Eggnog Martini at The Melting Pot in Town and Country. And that’s a good thing, because this creation, by managing partner Sharon Bauman, deserves nothing less than an open mind – it’s pretty darn good. Comprising of Skyy vodka, amaretto and eggnog with a splash of cinnamon schnapps and a sprinkle of nutmeg, the Eggnog Martini is poised to make a fan out of you, too. Even my husband, who had an attitude Scrooge would’ve appreciated, admitted he liked the Eggnog Martini.
A martini glass and a scattering of ground nutmeg floating atop the creamy concoction made for an appealing presentation. But it was the hint of cinnamon from the schnapps that really made the drink for me. I’ve always liked cinnamon schnapps, especially Goldschlager, and the shots it goes into, such as the yummy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (my favorite recipe is equal parts Goldschlager, Jägermeister, butterscotch schnapps and Baileys). While I’m neutral on the other ingredients in the Eggnog Martini, the combination works well, which should really be the goal of any cocktail, to make the sum more than the parts.
Bauman created the Eggnog Martini, which will run as a seasonal special through the holidays, the same way she creates all the special martinis at The Melting Pot – by experimenting. “I try to go with the trends and what my distributors tell me,” she said. Often, she starts on the Web, looking at the drinks featured on the sites of other Melting Pot franchisees, especially those in California. Many times she finds ideas she’d like to implement but can’t, because the liquors aren’t yet available in the Midwest. Still, she dreams up her recipes, and when the products finally come through, she’s ready. At any given time, there are as many as five special featured drinks, in addition to the core martini list.
Eggnog is traditionally made with eggs, alcohol, sugar, cream and spices, although it is often made nontraditionally, without alcohol. If you don’t want to make it yourself, many commercial versions and even vegan versions (dairy- and egg-free) are available, usually alcohol-free. The eggnog in the Melting Pot’s martini is store-bought and pasteurized, so any not-so-paranoid fears you might have about raw eggs should be assuaged.
I probably won’t be making eggnog at home any time soon because it just doesn’t interest me that much, but I might be making the Eggnog Martini, just to show my friends and family that it really is good. I think they are starting to trust me when I present new drinks, but heck, for all I know, they lie awake nights, wondering what I am trying to do them.
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