Thursday, Dec. 09, 2010

Eggnog's skinny cousins

If we were all a member of the aristocracy of old England, an egg flip would be the drink of choice to show our social status. Those times being economically challenging, most were hard pressed for eggs or a glass of milk, two of the main ingredients in an egg flip. Thus, the drink was reserved for the upper echelon of society.

As humans have done since the beginning of time, spirits soon found their way into the drink along with nutmeg and cinnamon. The English often used brandy, Madeira or even sherry to bring adult fun to the party. This also made the drink even more expensive with the exotic spices and spirits.

Once the egg flip made it across the pond, the new Americans were unable to get brandy due to heavy taxation. Of course they were unwilling to compromise alcohol as an important ingredient, so they substituted rum, called "grog." The name morphed to "egg and grog" and slowly became the modern holiday wonder called eggnog.

Eggnog gained popularity in America because, unlike the Old World, most of the settlers lived on farms where eggs and milk were abundant. The drink that was once reserved for high society was now a very economical way to enjoy your whisky.

Today, eggnog is made of sugar, beaten eggs, milk or cream, nutmeg, cinnamon and almost any dark spirit. Rum, brandy, whisky, sherry or bourbon have all been used. Due to the safety concerns of eating raw eggs, mass branding it as a holiday beverage, coffee creamer, non-alcoholic beverage and ice cream flavor has made eggnog synonymous with December in a carton.

It the age of a double-fat-free-soy-latte-with-half-a-Splenda-and-absolutely-no-flavor- whatsoever, eggnog has slowly fallen off of the beverage menu to make way for healthier choices. Mixers such as cream, eggs and sugar are not part of our public consumption habits these days. Rightfully so.

So if eggnog is off the menu for your holiday soiree, keep reading for some other ways to enjoy holiday cheer with some cocktails that won't bust your belt.

The Skinny Mixers

As I've mentioned before, the spirits in drinks are not the only culprit when it comes to unwanted calories. The mixer that you choose is often clocking in with as much as twice as many calories as the liquor.

The best mixers are club soda or diet cola. Both add absolutely zero calories to the beverage mix. If you need a little more pep in your step, Sugar Free Red Bull will put only one calorie onto your tab. Bloody Mary's are required in my household during the holidays. Try a toned down version with plain V8 Tomato Juice and you will add only five calories to your day. Finally, fresh lemon or lime juice complete the less-than-10 calorie mixer list. Both add about eight calories to your daily holiday intake.

Get in the Spirit

There are a few drinks that are indicative of the holiday season. Some are better than others when it comes to calories and carbohydrates while others simply tilt the scales by the ounce.

Bourbon, the great American spirit, has proven to bring very little to the elements that tilt your bathroom scale. Most have zero carbs and approximately 66 calories per ounce. The deep flavors of vanilla and smoke are also very welcome during this time of year. For the purists, when it comes to bourbon, ice is a mixer. If you must, a little splash of water.

Vodka is the most versatile spirit when it comes to flavor. In the best form, it is odorless, colorless and tasteless. A favorite of mine is Ciroc Vodka. Most associate this with a famous rapper/producer, but in reality the vodka was around long before he jumped on board. It is distilled from grapes which also makes it favorable for the gluten free diets. Ciroc clocks in with only 64 calories and zero carbs per ounce. Again, pay attention to the mixer that you choose, but you could easily have a drink with less than 100 calories with this vodka.

Let us talk about the late night shot choice at many bars around town. Rumpleminze Schnapps has a crisp peppermint flavor that is warming on chilly December days. However, in every ounce of the stuff you are contributing 113 calories and 9 grams of carbs. Is that why some people balk at the chance to down a shot of the stuff?

Cranberry Kir Royale

Champagne is said to have many health benefits. From antioxidant qualities to actually contributing to healthier cells in the body, champagne is the hero among the wine world. It also makes a great holiday cocktail.

The Kir Royale is a berry flavored glass of champagne. Usually mixing Chambord with the wine gives it color and flavor. Here, we bring the colors and flavors of the season to the drink.

Use one cup of water, one cup of sugar and 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh cranberries. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and the cranberries are soft. Strain thoroughly and let cool. Freeze a bag of fresh cranberries ahead of time and put five of them in a champagne flute. Pour the strained and cooled syrup over the cranberries, about an ounce or so. Fill the remainder of the glass with champagne or sparkling wine. The frozen cranberries will keep it cool and the flavor is outstanding.

While we may be over the days of thick, heavy and calorie-packed holiday drinks served from a punch bowl, we are not over the days of celebrating the season. Educate yourself as to what goes into the glass and it will not be very hard to stick to your beverage diet this season. As for the turkey dinners, I can't help you there.

Cheers!

Kevin Hoover, a local foodie, is engaged in the endless pursuit of the perfect cocktail and dining experience. Check out his blog at lushlifeonline.com.