Hate it or love it, you can’t ignore eggnog at Christmas time. It’s on display in supermarkets, present at office parties and offered at family gatherings. The dairy-based concoction, which includes raw eggs and oftentimes alcohol, is so much a part of the holiday season that companies created egg and dairy-free “nog” so that no one  - due to allergies or diet concerns - need go without.  

Eggnog was first introduced to America when colonists arrived from England in the 1700s. Considered a drink of the elite in Britain due the high cost of cream and milk, eggnog became became a common beverage in the colonies where dairies were more plentiful. The triangle trade brought Caribbean sugar to New England where distilleries used it to make rum. Rum soon replaced the brandy in English versions of the festive drink.  

For homemade eggnog, recipes vary little with the exception of preferred liquor. Whether to include rye, whiskey, bourbon or rum, is a matter of personal choice as well as regional loyalties. New Englanders prefer rum given its historic use in colonial times. The development of bourbon in the South led to a proliferation of eggnog recipes from the region, especially from New Orleans, calling for bourbon. 

Commercial production of eggnog tops 15 million gallons a year. Dallas-based Dean Foods accounts for a third of annual production through its brands across the country. Dean Foods is the  the parent company of Alta Dena in Southern California and Garelick Farms in the Northeast, to name a few. The Dallas-based company has a gauge of national eggnog consumption. 

“[Consumer demand is] surprisingly stable and predictable really” says Jamaison Schuler, director of corporate communications. The majority of brands offer eggnog from mid-October through December and the amount produced varies little from year to year. The seasonal beverage’s popularity in the northern half of the country consistently trumps its popularity in the southern half. “Colder climates seem to consume more eggnog and so those [northern brands] are our brands that do better overall,” he adds.   

What has changed is the availability of alternative “nogs” catering to people with allergies or diet concerns. Three years ago So Delicious introduced its “nog,” made from coconut milk. Food scientists used stabilizers like guar gum and locust bean gum to achieve the same texture as traditional eggnog and natural flavors impart the taste of eggs. 

Since it’s healthier than traditional eggnogs, So Delicious Nog “is getting more and more [non-lactose fans] all the time,” says Mike January, one of the company’s food scientists. 

Whether it’s homemade or from the grocery store, whether it’s made with eggs or not, whether sober or spiked, eggnog delivers a velvety texture and sweet-spicy flavor that has made it popular among generations of Americans.

Reach Staff Contributor Lexie Barker here.