Holiday Drinks: Resurrecting The Tom and Jerry Cocktail

When the holiday season is in full swing, many people begin to desire eggnog. I however, would like to share with you an alternative, classic egg based drink, the Tom and Jerry.

As a child of the upper Midwest, this was a staple at our Christmas gatherings. Though today it remains alive in certain circles, is largely forgotten elsewhere in favour of that easy-serve cold temperature drink eggnog – with or without alcohol fortification. The Tom and Jerry is a hot booze concoction from the earlier eighteen hundreds, predating the popular cat and mouse duo by over a century.

It is believed that the cartoon pairing actually took their name from the cocktail.

INGREDIENTS (PER INDIVIDUAL COCKTAIL):

1 oz aged rum
1 oz brandy
2 oz batter
4 oz hot milk

PREPARATION

Preparation for the Tom and Jerry begins with a batter which is comprised of 6 eggs and one cup of powdered sugar – the core of the drink. The eggs are separated and the yolks are beaten with the cup of sugar to make a thicker, pudding like product that a foodie would recognize as a type of créme Anglais (to take things even further, you have the option of beating in some butter at this stage, but that is up to personal taste).

The egg whites are beaten separately into stiff peaks and then combined back into the yolk mixture. This batter will easily last from mid December through New Years in the fridge. Once you have the batter then you can proceed to build the rest of the drink which involves hot milk, rum, and brandy.

Yes, this is a full strength, two-spirit cocktail, unlike its more pedestrian rival – rum and eggnog. The hot milk component is basic enough (just make sure not skimp on holiday calories by using skim milk which I personally feel is an affront to God and should be labeled as white water).

Though it’s true that quality ingredients typically make for a higher quality drink, given that this drink is composed largely of hot milk and custard, I feel that pouring from an $80 bottle of rum is unjustified.“

Next is the rum portion, which is your chance to experiment a little between rum flavour profiles with light, dark, etc. I would suggest saving the really top shelf stuff in your collection for drinks that are not as sweetened and diluted as the Tom and Jerry. The same rule applies to the brandy portion, for which I am using the term brandy and not cognac to again suggest that this is where a ‘bottom shelf’ pour will do just fine.

Though it’s true that quality ingredients make for a higher quality drink, given that this drink is composed largely of hot milk and custard, I feel that pouring from an $80 bottle of rum is unjustified.

Personally, I using prefer Brugal (Dominican Republic) or Gosling’s Black Seal (Barbados) for my rum, but sometimes the slight ‘funk’ of Pussers Navy Proof can make for appealing taste profile as well (the brandy I most favor is a fairly generic, Niagara, Canada made type of hobo fuel that is perfectly applicable in this setting).

To serve, simply scoop out some batter and place it in the bottom a mug, add liquors, top with hot milk and sprinkle in some nutmeg and ground cinnamon cloves.

Voila.

AND SO…

I think of the Tom and Jerry as more of a substantial holiday drink than eggnog because it is both warm in temperature and warming internally with a belt of two of full proof liquors.

This is one of those “come on in and shake the cold off” type of drinks you offer friends and family as reward for braving the elements and escaping the gravity of their own hearth and home to brighten yours over the holidays.

-Sean Douglass