So, I had this idea.  I was going to add a third punch bowl to my tavern.  I already have the two from David Wondrich which are very similar to those common in the late 18th and 19th Century.  I wasn’t going to be picky; I just didn’t want to spend a huge sum of cash and I absolutely did not want one with a holiday theme.  Well, this is a problem.  Seems unless you want to channel your childhood and get a 1960’s styled retro set or drop a grand, Wondrich’s is the only game in town.  But as I was searching, one style kept popping into my search routine — Tom and Jerry.  Now if you are of a certain age, “Tom and Jerry” is a Saturday morning cartoon, not an adult beverage.  So, I was intrigued.   

Turns out, Tom and Jerry is a traditional holiday cocktail often attributed to British writer and professional boxing journalist Pierce Egan from the 1820s (so the timeline is good but all the variants I saw SCREAMED 1968!). This punch is a variant of eggnog with brandy and rum, served hot, usually ladled into a mug from a bowl. It is so popular in some areas of the United States that pre-made Tom and Jerry batter, typically produced by manufacturers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Montana, is sold in regional supermarkets during the Christmas season.

The drink’s name is a reference to Egan’s book, The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821), and the subsequent stage play Tom and Jerry (also 1821). To publicize the book and the play, Egan introduced a variation of eggnog with an additional 1⁄2 US fluid ounce of brandy and called it a “Tom and Jerry”. The additional fortification helped popularize the drink which was a favorite of President Warren G. Harding, who served it at an annual Christmas party for his closest friends making it a party staple in the American Midwest. While this origin story remains unverified, Egan’s work did make a meaningful contribution to the drinking world: the phrase “Tom and Jerrying,” which means indulging in loud, drunken behavior.

The drink begins with a frothy batter of separately beaten egg whites and yolks folded together and mixed with sugar and warm spices. When served as a party punch, the sweet batter is often ladled out of special Tom and Jerry punch bowls into matching cocktail mugs, along with hot milk, rum and brandy, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. The result is a delicious, warm revamp of the classic eggnog.

The Tom & Jerry is not the easiest drink to make.  While this drink is often compared to eggnog, it is a completely different drink. The main difference is that a Tom & Jerry is served warm, and the drink is built in the serving mug. Eggnog, on the other hand, is cold and already mixed and ready to drink and is often a non-alcoholic beverage.  The Tom & Jerry is served warm and is doubly alcoholic (beware).  It is more of a warm milk punch and has less of an eggy flavor. You may find that putting together the Tom & Jerry is much like making a hot buttered rum.

Recipe:

  • 12 eggs
  • 1 1/2 pounds white sugar
  • 1 bottle VSOP cognac
  • 1 bottle rich Jamaican rum, preferably Plantation Xaymaca
  • 2 quarts whole milk
  • 1 whole nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • grated nutmeg

Directions

  1. Prepare the spice mix by combining the cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
  2. Separate the eggs.
  3. Put the whites into a non-reactive (stainless steel, ceramic, plastic or glass) bowl and beat them into stiff peaks.
  4. In a large ceramic bowl, beat the yolks, gradually incorporating 2 ounces of the rum and the spice mix (this one is best to do by hand). When they are completely liquid, gradually add the sugar (it seems like a lot; trust us, it’s needed), stirring until the mixture attains the consistency of a light batter.
  5. Carefully fold the whites into the yolks until thoroughly incorporated. To prevent separation, add the cream of tartar. Keep this batter refrigerated until needed. It will probably need a quick whip before use.
  6. Bring the milk to a low simmer.
  7. Put a heaping tablespoon (20 ml) of the batter in a small mug or tumbler and stir in around half an ounce each of the cognac and the rum (these can be pre-mixed for speed). You don’t have to measure precisely, but if you add too much more than you’ll lose the velvety texture.
  8. Add two ounces or so hot milk and stir until you get foam.
  9. Garnish with fresh nutmeg.

Now I know why Warner Brothers’ Tom and Jerry were such good friends.

BTW: If you know where to get an authentic punch bowl, shoot me a line. Otherwise I might get a third from Wondrich.

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Published by Michael Carver

My goal is to bring history alive through interactive portrayal of ordinary American life in the late 18th Century (1750—1799) My persona are: Journeyman Brewer; Cordwainer (leather tradesman but not cobbler), Statesman and Orator; Chandler (candle and soap maker); Gentleman Scientist; and, Soldier in either the British Regular Army, the Centennial Army, or one of the various Militia. Let me help you experience history 1st hand!