MxMo: My-Nog-A-Nog

Thanks to The Scribe at A Mixed Dram for hosting the January edition of Mixology Monday. In keeping with the theme of "Broaden Your Horizons" I have whipped up a nog.

Wait a minute. A nog? Like egg nog? How cliche is that?

I've made conventional egg nog before, but I want to broaden the sense of a nog. For my purposes, following a classic recipe doesn't count as truly creating a nog. That's why a nog broadens my horizons. I wanted a drink that is original. That doesn't come in a carton six weeks a year. That is tied to a season rather than a fleeting holiday.

So I kept the dairy base but left out the eggs. I also played up the cinnamon profile in three ways: in the base, in a spiked whipped cream and in the garnish. And I threw in three warm liquors that are customarily poured in the winter -- bourbon, rum and brandy. I also added a hint of complementary caramel to the spiked whipped cream.

The result was a warming drink just right for the winter months, steeped in cinnamon with a creamy yet with light and airy consistency. And even a Muppets reference.

My-Nog-A-Nog

1 Q whole milk
1/2 C white sugar
2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 C superfine sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped out
4 sticks cinnamon
2 C heavy cream
1/2 C caramel Irish cream liqueur
1 1/2 C bourbon
3/4 C light rum
1 1/2 C brandy

Bring the milk, white sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean pod halves and seeds just to a boil, stirring occasionally, being careful not to scald the milk. Remove from the heat. Remove vanilla bean pod halves and cinnamon sticks and discard. Cool mixture until it reaches room temperature.

(All right, you could stop here and use the mixture in coffee. Or espresso vodka.)

In a large chilled bowl with a chilled whisk or beaters, prepare the spiked whipped cream -- combine the cream, Irish cream liqueur, cinnamon and superfine sugar and beat to soft peaks.

Combine the bourbon, brandy and rum with the milk mixture. Fold in about two thirds of the sweetened whipped cream, reserving and refrigerating the rest. Refrigerate nog until chilled, about an hour. Pour nog into glasses. Top each with a spoonful of the reserved spiked whipped cream. Garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.