Instead of ladling spiked box nog from a punch bowl, wow your guests with customized holiday flips. Traditionally made with liquor, sugar and eggs, a flip is a single-serve cocktail shaken until frothy and is the precursor to modern eggnog. In fact, flips were one of the first cocktails defined by Jerry Thomas’ A Bon Vivant’s Companion, the first bar guide published in 1862.
For this version, I used bourbon and Spirits of St. Louis‘ Vermont Night, a whiskey-based spirit infused with winter spices, vanilla, citrus and maple syrup. This liqueur adds sweetness and spice, but if you don’t have a bottle handy, feel free to swap in whatever is available at your home bar. Flips required very fresh eggs for the richest, creamiest texture. If you’re worried about contamination, you can substitute in-shell pasteurized eggs with minimal loss of texture.
Holiday Flip 1 serving
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup water
1.5 oz. Knob Creek or other quality bourbon
1 oz. Vermont Night liqueur
1 oz. half and half
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 whole egg
Cinnamon or fresh grated nutmeg, for garnish
• In a small saucepot, bring the brown sugar and water to a simmer over medium-high until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Stack 1 ounce of the brown sugar syrup, bourbon, Vermont Night, half and half, vanilla extract and egg in a cocktail shaker and shake dry (without ice) 20 seconds to mix the egg and create a small froth. Add ice and shake wet 20 to 30 seconds to chill and add more froth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a martini glass, Old-Fashioned glass or goblet. Garnish with a pinch of cinnamon or grated nutmeg.
Justin Cardwell is a member of USBG St. Louis and general manager at BC’s Kitchen.
This article appears in December 2014.