Thanksgiving Nog

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Cocktail History

The Thanksgiving Nog is a batch autumn cocktail that was created by Nick Mautone and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. It’s served warm and made on a stovetop using lots of different ingredients, including rum, cream, pumpkin, brown sugar, and various seasonal spices.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. We used Plantation Original Dark Rum because it has a unique spiced flavor with notes of banana, plum, and vanilla. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.

Water: This is a colorless liquid that stretches the recipe. We used filtered water.

Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. We used half & half instead of heavy cream because it’s lower in calories. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative in place of the cream.

Pumpkin Purée: This is cooked pumpkin that has been blended into a smooth pulp. We used Farmer’s Market Foods Organic Pumpkin Purée.

Brown Sugar: This is white sugar that has been processed, crystallized, dried, and flavored with molasses. We used C&H Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar.

Maple Syrup: This is a syrup made with the sap from maple trees. We used a local maple syrup.

Vanilla Extract: This is a flavoring made with vanilla beans, ethyl alcohol, and water. We used Simply Organic Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a spice blend made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. We used Simply Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Whipped Cream: This is heavy cream that has been whipped and beaten until it is light and fluffy. We used Reddi-Wip Original Dairy Whipped Topping because it offers easier application than making whipped cream at home using an iSi Cream Whipper. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Reddi-Wip Non-Dairy Coconut Milk Whipped Topping in place of the whipped cream.

Ground Cinnamon: This is a spice. We used Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Saucepan: This is used to warm the ingredients. We used the Cuisinart 3-Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan with Cover.

Spoon: This is used to stir the ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Spoon.

Ladle: This is used to transfer the drink to cups. We used the OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Ladle.

Tasting Notes

The Thanksgiving Nog features the delicious aroma of fall spices paired with the distinct tastes of pumpkin, banana from the rum, and maple, and it has a decadent sweetness from the brown sugar, vanilla, and cream.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: When tasting this drink for the first time, Kendall’s exact words were, “Wow, it’s like I’m drinking a pumpkin pie.” Although it’s quite high in calories, this is a delicious recipe worth indulging in around the holidays. It makes about six servings though, so be prepared to share some with a friend!

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Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.

Sale
The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails: The Best Nogs, Punches, Sparklers, and Mixed Drinks for Every Festive Occasion
The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails: The Best Nogs, Punches, Sparklers, and Mixed Drinks for Every Festive Occasion
Hardcover Book; Mautone, Nick (Author); English (Publication Language); 128 Pages – 10/17/2017 (Publication Date) – Artisan (Publisher)
$9.08 Amazon Prime

AuthorThe Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails

Yields6 ServingsPrep Time25 mins

Ingredients
 10 oz Dark Rum
 8 oz Water
 8 oz Heavy Cream
 2 cups Pumpkin Purée
 ½ cup Brown Sugar
 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
 ½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  tsp Ground Cinnamon
 Whipped Cream
 1 Cinnamon Stick

Method
1

Add water, cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice to a saucepan.

2

Simmer on low heat while stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.

3

Stir in pumpkin purèe.

4

Simmer for 15 more minutes until mixture resembles a thick cream.

5

Remove from heat.

6

Stir in rum.

7

Ladle into mugs.

8

Garnish with whipped cream, ground cinnamon, and cinnamon stick.

Ingredients

Ingredients
 10 oz Dark Rum
 8 oz Water
 8 oz Heavy Cream
 2 cups Pumpkin Purée
 ½ cup Brown Sugar
 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
 ½ tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
  tsp Ground Cinnamon
 Whipped Cream
 1 Cinnamon Stick

Directions

Method
1

Add water, cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice to a saucepan.

2

Simmer on low heat while stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.

3

Stir in pumpkin purèe.

4

Simmer for 15 more minutes until mixture resembles a thick cream.

5

Remove from heat.

6

Stir in rum.

7

Ladle into mugs.

8

Garnish with whipped cream, ground cinnamon, and cinnamon stick.

Thanksgiving Nog

Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum to try a booze-free version of this drink.

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More Pumpkin Cocktails

If you like this pumpkin-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Spiced Pumpkin Punch Cocktail Recipe

Spiced Pumpkin Punch: A gin cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin purée, honey syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon sticks

Thanksgiving Nog Cocktail Recipe

Thanksgiving Nog: A dark rum cocktail made with water, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, ground mace, whipped cream, and a cinnamon stick

Smashed Pumpkin Cocktail Recipe

Smashed Pumpkin: A bourbon cocktail made with lemon juice, pumpkin spice syrup, orange bitters, and an egg white

Pumpkin Cider Cocktail Recipe

Pumpkin Cider: An apple brandy and rum cocktail made with apple cider, pumpkin cubes, butter, sugar, whole cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and grated nutmeg

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