Eggnog Shot

About the Eggnog Shot

Two ingredients, two seconds of garnish, done. Eggnog — store-bought or homemade — and spiced rum, shaken cold, dusted with fresh nutmeg. The simplicity is the point: nothing to improve, nothing to overthink. The only decision that matters is the nutmeg.

Pre-ground nutmeg is almost entirely sawdust. Freshly grated whole nutmeg, using a Microplane or small grater, is a different ingredient entirely — bright, floral, almost camphor-adjacent. The difference is the single most impactful upgrade available to anyone making this shot. Keep whole nutmeg seeds in the pantry; they last essentially forever. Bourbon or brandy work as substitutes for the rum, and both drinker preferences are historically defensible — Victorian eggnog was brandy-based. Oat nog or coconut-cream nog for a dairy-free version. A no-brainer for Christmas parties, December dinner tables and any New Year’s Eve where the eggnog carton has been open for a day already.