Why it works: Brandy and whisky work together. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 330 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Egg Nog
Ingredients
Directions
Beat the yolks of the eggs until very light.
Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
Gradually pour in the brandy and whisky.
Add the grated nutmeg and milk, mixing well.
Beat the egg whites to a froth and gently stir them in last.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Brandy + whiskytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together330 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Nutmeg + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Brandy + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,311 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Brandy + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,738 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
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Whisky + milktop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together287 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg yolks
- Enriches the custard with fat and richness, and helps give body to the drink.
- Egg whites
- Beaten to a froth, they trap air and make the finished drink light and frothy.
- White sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps balance the alcohol and the richness of the eggs.
- Rich milk
- Adds moisture and body, diluting the spirits into a smooth, creamy drink.
- Brandy
- Adds aroma and warmth of flavor.
- Old whisky
- Adds aroma and depth of flavor.
The step that matters
Folding in the beaten egg whites. Whites beaten to a froth hold air that gives the drink its lightness. Stirring them in gently and last keeps that air from collapsing, so the foam stays on top.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar, brandy, whisky, milk):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegthe original
- Gingerfits less well
- Clovefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar, brandy, whisky, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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