Tom and Jerry Drink – A Holiday Favorite!

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Tom and Jerry Drink
Tom and Jerry served in a small mug.

Click here to skip straight to the recipe!

Tom and Jerry Drink? Wait a minute! Tom & Jerry was a cartoon about a cat and a mouse, not a drink.  That was my first thought years ago when I ran into some cups (here’s an example of one) that said Tom and Jerry at an antique store and I discovered the Tom and Jerry Drink.

It’s basically thick eggnog with liquor and boiling water added. Tom and Jerries are very popular around the holidays and have been around since the early 1800s.

Back in Illinois, my husband belonged to a club called the Fraternal Order of Eagles. They always served Tom and Jerries on Christmas Eve at their bar.  It was a tradition!

They ordered a mix that came in a tub and you added the liquor and hot water. I never saw the ingredient list on that tub but I’m guessing it wasn’t so natural. These completely natural and from scratch Tom and Jerries are way better!

I got this recipe from a classmate of my husband’s and a friend of ours, Stephanie. I did change up one thing. Her recipe called for powdered milk but it’s not anything that I had in my house when I got the itch to make these so I made a substitution that I’m sure no one would mind.

 

Enjoy!

Egg whites for Tom and Jerry Drink.
Egg whites beaten to stiff peaks.

Ani’s Real Tom and Jerry Drink 

Ingredients:

6 eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt
2 tsp Real Vanilla Extract
1 cup Real Dairy Whipped Cream (Cool Whip is NOT suitable)
Boiling water
Rum, Brandy or Bourbon Whiskey
Nutmeg

Instructions:

In a large mixer bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in 1/2 cup of sugar slowly into prepared egg whites until sugar is dissolved. this will take about 7 min.

 

 

Egg yolks beaten until very thick for Tom and Jerry Drink.
Egg yolks are beaten until very thick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a small bowl, beat egg yolks until thick. This will also take about 7 min.

Tom and Jerry Drink mix will look like this. Mine is a beige color due to the natural sugar that is unbleached and still has a bit of molasses in it..
Tom and Jerry mix.

 

 

 

Mix heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form then fold that into the egg white mixture along with the beaten egg yolks.

Add the remaining 1 3/4 cup of sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and gently fold until sugar is dissolved.

Store covered in the refrigerator and use as needed. My friend says it should last for up to a week. If the batter separates as it sits in the refrigerator, just stir it up and it is ready to use again.

 

Preparing the Tom and Jerry Drink:

Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons full of the batter mix into a large mug. I use the Norpo scoop to make it easier and more accurate. Using a shot pouring jigger for bar-tending is best to add 1 ounce of either rum, brandy or whiskey. My friend Stephanie and I prefer brandy but my husband prefers bourbon whiskey in them. Add boiling water to fill the rest of the mug. Stir until it is well blended. It will be frothy. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg or grate nutmeg over each mug.

Enjoy!

If you are curious as to the story behind how this drink got its name, as I was, check it out here.

Follow Ani:

WordPress consultant/Developer/Designer, homemaker, baker, blogger.

Ani is an avid baker and cook. She and her husband recently relocated to Florida but raised on a farm in the midwest with a heritage of German and Norwegian as major influences and inspiration, she has a real passion for developing new recipes and perfecting traditional recipes as well.

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