8 Easy Ways to Turn Store-Bought Eggnog into a Holiday co*cktail (2024)

Rob Floyd is a Nashville-based drink expert who helped launch José Andrés's The Bazaar as its lead mixologist. Floyd is also a regular on the hit show Bar Rescue.

Classic Spiked Eggnog

If you're looking for a traditional approach, spike store-bought eggnog using your favorite liquor like brandy, bourbon, or rum. This super-simple recipe makes six 6½-ounce servings.

For a well-balanced drink, add one part spirit to five parts eggnog and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg for a boozy refreshment.

Ingredients

• 1 carton (32 oz) eggnog
• 6 ounces brandy, bourbon, or rum
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg, freshly grated

Directions

1. In a 40-ounce or larger pitcher, mix eggnog and spirits.
2. Pour into glasses and garnish with sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cinnamon Whiskey Eggnog

Floyd suggests turning a plain bottle of whiskey from your home bar into a cinnamon whiskey that rivals your favorite name-brand drink in a few easy steps.

Add that cinnamon-infused whiskey to store-bought eggnog, and you have a fiery holiday drink that'll keep you warm on a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750 mL to 1 liter) whisky
• 3 ounces simple syrup or agave
• 6 to 8 cinnamon sticks
• 3 to 5 dried chili peppers (optional)
• 1 vanilla bean (optional)
• 1 carton (32 oz) eggnog

Directions

1. In a large glass jar (at least 40 ounces), combine whiskey, simple syrup, and cinnamon sticks.
2. Seal the jar with a lid and store in a cool, dark spot for 3 to 5 days, shaking it every so often.
3. After a few days, if desired, add dried chili peppers and vanilla bean, reseal, and store a day or two longer (optional).
4. Strain the whiskey mixture and mix 2 ounces of it with 4 ounces eggnog per serving.

Eggnog Martini

If vodka is your go-to liquor, an eggnog martini is a sophisticated holiday co*cktail suitable for the season. This shaken-not-stirred drink combines store-bought eggnog with vanilla-flavored vodka and amaretto for a smooth dessert replacement.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces eggnog
• 1 ounce vanilla-flavored vodka
• 1 ounce amaretto
• Cinnamon
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• Cinnamon stick

Directions

1. In a co*cktail shaker filled with ice, combine eggnog, vanilla-flavored vodka, and amaretto.
2. Shake well until fully combined, and pour into a chilled martini glass.
3. Dust with cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg, and add a cinnamon stick.

Spicy Horchata Style Eggnog

This riff on a classic Mexican beverage uses store-bought eggnog and jalapeño-infused tequila for a sweet-and-spicy co*cktail. For the spicy part, Floyd recommends combining a bottle of your favorite tequila with jalapeño pieces—with their heat-inducing seeds—and a cinnamon stick in a mason jar.

Once that spicy tequila tastes just right, mix it with mezcal and eggnog for a south-of-the-border twist on a holiday favorite. To take it over the top, Floyd suggests a dash of chai syrup for added warmth and then finish with dark chocolate shavings for a photo-worthy garnish.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces tequila
• 1 ounce jalapeño pieces (include seeds)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 ounces mezcal
• 1 carton (32 ounces) eggnog
  
• 2 ounces chai syrup (optional)
• 2 ounces dark chocolate shavings (optional)

Directions

1. In a pint or quart-sized mason jar, combine tequila with jalapeño pieces and a cinnamon stick.
2. Store in a cool, dark place for about a day, tasting and shaking occasionally, until the mixture reaches your desired spice level.
3. In each each co*cktail glass, pour 1 ounce spicy tequila, 1 ounce mezcal, and 4 ounces eggnog.
4. Finish each co*cktail with 1½ teaspoons chai syrup and garnish with 1½ teaspoons dark chocolate shavings (optional).

Fire Smoked Eggnog

In a popular TikTok video, Floyd demonstrates how to add smoke to a beverage for more flavor, aroma, and excitement. He starts by creating a co*cktail—in this case, an old fashioned—and then lights things up with an ignited rosemary sprig that he carefully extinguishes with an upside-down shaker that traps the smoke as he covers the drinking glass.

Follow those same steps with your favorite eggnog drink for the perfect fireside beverage. The result is a smoky eggnog co*cktail that'll tantalize your tastebuds, fill your nose with a delightful aroma, and impress your special guests.

Ingredients

• 5 oz eggnog
• 1 ounce brandy, bourbon, or rum
• 1 sprig rosemary
  

Directions

1. In a co*cktail glass, mix eggnog with spirits and stir.
2. Light the sprig of rosemary, and then cover the flaming sprig with an upside-down shaker to dowse the flame and create smoke.
3. When smoke fills the shaker, pull the sprig out and quickly cover the co*cktail glass with the smoke-filled, upside-down shaker.
4. Allow the smoke to infuse into the eggnog for at least 1 minute, remove the tumbler, and serve.

White Russian Eggnog

This deliciously indulgent co*cktail is what puts the happy in happy holidays. It gives a standard three-ingredient white Russian a festive turn by replacing the usual heavy cream with store-bought eggnog.

Ingredients

• Ice
• 2 ounces vodka
• 1 ounce Kahlúa
• 1 ounce eggnog
• Cinnamon, ground nutmeg, or pumpkin spice (optional)

Directions

1. In a co*cktail glass filled with ice, add vodka and Kahlúa.
2. Top with eggnog and stir to combine.
3. Garnish with a dash of spice as desired.
   

Non-Alcoholic Eggnog Milkshake

In a TikTok video, user @officialfunfoods shares how to make an eggnog milkshake by blending 1 cup eggnog and 3 to 4 scoops vanilla ice cream until smooth and creamy. He finishes the concoction with a heaping dollop of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup eggnog
• 3 to 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Cinnamon

Directions

1. Using a blender, mix eggnog and ice cream until smooth and creamy, and then pour into glasses.
2. Finish each milkshake with a heaping dollop of whipped cream, a dash of cinnamon, and a straw.

Eggnog Bar

What could be easier than a co*cktail that starts with store-bought eggnog? Answer: an eggnog bar where guests mix their own eggnog co*cktail. A carton of eggnog poured into a pretty pitcher serves as the centerpiece among an array of spirits, spices, and sweets for guests to conjure up their perfect eggnog concoction.

Ingredients

• Eggnog
• Spirits: rum, bourbon, whiskey, and/or brandy
• Whipped cream
• Syrup: caramel and/or chocolate
• Spices: nutmeg, cinnamon (sticks and ground), and/or pumpkin spice
• Crushed gingersnap cookies or red-hot candies, or cinnamon sugar for rimming glasses (optional)

Directions

1. Set up a buffet of spirits, toppings, and spices.
2. Prepare rimmed glasses (optional).
3. Empty a carton of eggnog into a pitcher or punch bowl.
4. Mix, drink, and be merry!

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