It’s usually the first time during the holidays that I get to try egg nog, it will be at some sort of party. The taste of egg nog will vary somewhat, but the experience is usually the same. The walking up to the bowl or pouring of the liquid into your cup. I’m always surprised at just how THICK it pours. I’m like, “Gawd it’s been a long time since I’ve had something that thick poured down my throat…this is SO not going to be healthy!” By now I’ve placed the ladle or container of egg nog down and am bringing the cup up to my mouth. I’m getting a closer view of the stuff, that light yellow creamy color with maybe a few brown flecks floating in it. Nutmeg. That’s when your nose will get a whiff of the spices. Nutmeg again, cinnamon and maybe cardamom. This is usually when the transporting begins in my head. I’m continuing to bring the cup closer to my mouth, but my eyes have closed and stirrings in my head have begun. Mostly for me, it’s not so much the memories of specific events but the sense that it’s holiday time. Christmas, end of the year, parties where I’m getting dressed up. It’s usually snippets of a mishmashed memories jumbled together. Now, the cup is at my lips and I get the first taste. Here’s where I can tell it’s either a good mix or just okay. If the first thing I can taste is alcohol then I’m usually snapped out of my reverie. But…more spices? Oh yeah… then the mouth feel of that super creamy begins to fill my mouth and it’s heavenly. And the sweetness. Not too much, but enough where it begins to put a smile on my mouth. The mixing of all the spices, creaminess of the cream and eggs and finally, if it’s been made right, now I get a little bit of the alcohol burn/flavor. It just manages to cut through all the heavy spice/cream and kinda brings me back out of the reverie and now I’m just standing in front of the egg nog bowl.
