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Cocktail History
The Peppermint Bark Eggnog is rum cocktail that was created by Tom Maey of Clover Club in New York City. In the description in Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH, this recipe is described as the drink version of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which is pretty spot on because it takes notes from a classic flip and combines a whole egg with cream and booze. While the original called for heavy cream and no added sugar apart from the liqueurs, we tested a few different versions before settling on this one; we felt it delivered a better mouthfeel, nice pop of delicious flavors, and fun candy cane rim.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Aged Rum: This is the base spirit. We used Appleton Estate Distillery’s because it’s sweet and salty with hints of salted caramel and oak that pair well with the sweeter ingredients.
Cognac: This is the other base spirit that adds the taste of brandy and additional booziness. We used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac for its smoothness and notes of stone fruit, almonds, raisins, and sweet spice.
Heavy Cream: This gives the drink its creamy texture. We typically use half & half instead because it’s flavorful while still being lighter on the calories, but you can also use heavy cream or milk.
White Crème De Menthe: This adds cool peppermint flavor. We used DeKuyper’s, but whichever crème de menthe you can find will work.
White Crème De Cacao: This adds cocoa notes. We also used one of these made by DeKuyper.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with sugar and water. You can buy bottled simple syrup in a store, but we made ours at home using Alex’s recipe because it tastes better fresh and is very easy to make.
Whole Egg: This adds more thickness and body. When a recipe calls for whole egg, it means the egg white and yolk. Most cocktail recipes only call for egg white, and that’s what makes eggnog unique.
Candy Cane: This is added to the rim for more mint flavor.
Nutmeg or Peppermint Bark Dust: This is the garnish. Either will add a hint of holiday flavors and aromas.
Tasting Notes
The Peppermint Bark Eggnog features aromas of nutmeg and peppermint, and it has the immediate taste of the peppermint rim followed by a creamy blend of smooth Cognac and rum. These flavors are then followed by a hint of cocoa and peppermint that come forward further into the mouth, and it all goes down with a lingering spiciness from the spirits and a rich egg yolk flavor.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: After making our tweaks, we both thought this recipe was fantastic and almost too easy to drink. Definitely mix it up if you’re craving eggnog but want to add a tasty minty twist.
Alex’s Take: “This drink in its original form was tasty, but it was actually very dry, so I ended up adding a small amount of simple syrup to open up the sweetness of the other flavors. It definitely helped. The crème de cacao and crème de menthe are definitely present but actually far less forward than I expected, which made Kendall’s idea of a candy cane rim a good idea in hindsight, to help bring some more of the mint flavors. It’s a decent drink overall, but don’t expect an abundance of sweet flavors; instead come prepared for a bit of a drier, more refined taste.”
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Kendall’s Take: “I didn’t grow up snacking on peppermint bark or drinking eggnog around the holidays, so I was very excited to try both in this cocktail. It did not disappoint! With Alex’s addition of a little simple syrup to sweeten up the other ingredients, it was just right for my palate. I don’t know that I’d request it again because drinking raw egg is off-putting to me, but this is a great one to batch for a holiday party. You just might want to skip the candy cane rim, although I personally think it’s essential to really enjoy this.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.
AuthorWinter DrinksPrep Time5 minsCrush candy cane in a mortar and pestle, pour crushed candy cane onto a plate, rub outer rim of a martini glass with ¼ oz simple syrup, and roll glass in candy cane until coated.
Add rum, brandy, heavy cream, white crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, ¼ oz simple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into candy cane-rimmed cocktail glass.
Garnish with grated nutmeg or peppermint bark dust.
Ingredients
Directions
Crush candy cane in a mortar and pestle, pour crushed candy cane onto a plate, rub outer rim of a martini glass with ¼ oz simple syrup, and roll glass in candy cane until coated.
Add rum, brandy, heavy cream, white crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, ¼ oz simple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into candy cane-rimmed cocktail glass.
Garnish with grated nutmeg or peppermint bark dust.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
• Cranberry Cobbler: A sherry cocktail made with cranberry syrup, orange slices, an orange wedge, mint, and cranberries
• Candy Cane Martini: A vodka cocktail made with white crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, simple syrup, and crushed candy cane
• Kohler Mint Cocoa: A chocolate mint brandy cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
• Winter Berry Gin Fizz: A gin cocktail made with lime juice, cranberry syrup, raspberry liqueur, soda water, cranberries, and rosemary
