Makers Mark + I Create a #GetCozyCocktail featuring Makers 46 + Eggnog! #sponsored #LAStory

I love cocktails and spirits. I love talk about them. I love drinking them and I adore mixing up something innovative. With that said, I was happily surprised when the PR for Makers Mark reached out to me for their latest blogger/influencer campaign about creating a cocktail. It’s all about the Christmas holiday and employed using eggnog as the base. I was definitely wanted in on this opportunity because it allowed me to work with Makers Mark, a brand I had not been able to connect with for cocktails previously.

Why eggnog? Because it’s a traditional winter holiday beverage that traditionally features bourbon whiskey. Also Makers Mark has their own version of eggnog that they are sharing too:

Now I am sharing this great cocktail that I created courtesy of the “Get Cozy Cocktail” Kit that Makers Mark shipped me. This kit featured the essential elements like Makers 46 (the amazing bourbon whiskey aged in seared barrels made of French oak staves. Maker’s 46 is a bolder interpretation of the classic, made with soft winter wheat and finished exclusively during the cold winter months. Yummy!

Here’s the elements of the kit I received:
Disclosure: This kit I received makes this a #sponsored post. They provided me with samples and some interesting swag. I was not paid for this post. I paid for the other ingredients like eggnog, spices, etc.

The kit included:
—Full-sized bottle of Makers 46 for use in making up the recipe,

— red and white plaid socks (so yummy and cozy!)

–2 glass eggnog mugs (not shown) with Makers Mark engraved on them.

— The Art of American Whiskey book ( a visual history written by Noah Rothbaum)

— Miniature earmuffs for the bottle (SO CUTE!) and also an ear headband to keep ears cozy warm too!

— Makers Mark traditional recipe for eggnog.

I added in my imported bourbon vanilla extract, a nutmeg grinder (mine), fresh nutmegs for the best spice flavors and my favorite pre-made eggnog. Why pre-made? Because I don’t make the best egg nog. I have used my mom’s favorite recipe as for the basis of this mixology
competition and used an eggnog that I love that is made by a family-owned dairy here in Los Angeles. It is hands down the best eggnog I have ever tried. But I know how to jazz it up to make it a touch richer! (Can it get richer? YES! It can, if you follow my recipe). The richness provides a level of sophistication that balances off the flavors of Makers 46 perfectly. (How do I know that? I tested it out about 3 times) . Eggnog is fun and a holiday treat. My thought is to treat it a bit like a potent cocktail confection that can hit you with a fair amount of savory whiskey flavor married with a dash of richness. It’s definitely a fun drink.

Stevie’s LA-Story Eggnog featuring Makers 46 Recipe!

Ingredients:

— One bottle of Makers 46– pour out about 1/2 cup of Makers 46 for the first

— A quart (32 oz.) bottle of fresh eggnog (delivered fresh to my market!)
(You can make it by hand or you can buy the best eggnog you can find. It’s worth the cost to buy the best.)

— 1 pint of heavy cream (the fresher the better)

— spices. Choose your favorites in this category. I am listing what I like to use
Nutmeg – freshly ground
Lemon peel (either dried or freshly grated. If fresh, try Meyer lemons. If dried, add a little and do some taste tests with the blend
Cinnamon- ground
Cinnamon sticks — garnish
Graham crackers– crushed like you are making a crust.

— 1 -2 T Bourbon vanilla extract to taste. You can use any vanilla you like. This is my favorite kind and it’s a bit on the syrupy side.
Use it to taste when whipping the cream

Optional ingredient: I used something else to create both a shot of subtle flavor and color.
— Raspberries or cherries. You can use bottled Bordeaux cherries or raspberries in syrup. Frozen berries or cherries work too. Choose one fruit and stick with it.

Constructing the eggnog.
1) Make sure the eggnog is super cold. Don’t take it out of the refrigerator till you have everything else done and you are about to construct the drink in a pitcher or a bowl

2) Make sure the bowl and the beaters for whipping the cream have been in the freezer for at least 30-60 minutes. The longer the better for a quicker whipped cream.

3) Whip 1 cup at a time so that you can control the whip and see how you need. I start with a cup and see how it turns out and then whip more in a separate bowl. Make sure you don’t whip it so much that it turns to butter. Beat the cream for about 5 minutes and check for stiff peaks. T

Note: I don’t use sugar in the whipped cream because the vanilla and the fruit puree will provide enough sweetness (and a bit of tartness too) to the nog

3A) Add in about 1 T of Vanilla. Fold the vanilla into the whipped cream with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula type of tool. Blend well then grab a small spoon and see how it tastes. If you don’t taste the subtle vanilla flavor, add in 1 tsp. more and blend again by hand.

3B) Once beaten to your level of stiff peaks, put it back in the refrigerator to chill

4) Puree the fruit. Use a great blender, food processor or whatever you have to puree food and puree the raspberries or cherries till they are truly a liquid. Don’t worry about seeds. If there is any syrup, add in about 1/2 tsp at a time to just make a sort of liquid puree.

4A) The puree is an option that I chose to do this time. It is part of a garnish effect that adds texture and ribbons of color to the eggnog.
So you don’t want this super-thick or really runny. You can try it and then thin it out if you like with the juice from the fruit bottles or the blender that you pureed it in.

5) Mixing it up at last! 16 oz. Eggnog
Once both the eggnog and the whipped cream are cold, take them out of the refrigerator and take a good sized punch bowl, glass bowl or pitcher and pour in 16 oz. of eggnog first and stir.

5A) Add in 1/2 cup of Makers 46 and stir gently but thoroughly into the eggnog. Use a ladle or a large bowl spoon to take out a small amount and pour into a glass to see if that’s enough bourbon whiskey for your taste and your guests. If you need more, add more in slightly less than 1/4 cup increments.

5B) Add in the whipped cream to the eggnog and gently stir. This will thicken up the eggnog quite a bit. You do need to stir it around at least twice to get it to blend. You don’t want the big peaks of whipped cream to dissolve entirely. That will happen on its own.
Again use your spoon or ladle to take a small amount in a cup and do a taste test. Adjust the bourbon to your taste. (This is my favorite part)

6) Your choice for the garnishes is about whether to garnish in the bowl or pitcher or to do it by the glass. By the glass gives everyone the opportunity to add the puree to their tastes. I like to do it by the glass because I can serve it up the way I envision it for that day. Some people don’t want any puree. Others will love the idea.

6A) Pour it into mugs or cocktail glasses. I use different sized wine glasses for variety. Once the eggnog/Makers 46/whipped cream mix is in the glass, add 2 T of the berry puree.
It will sink to the bottom if you give it a second or two. Think of this as the eggnog version of a sunrise cocktail. With a bamboo skewer mix it up in the glass and either pull it up the sides to show streaks like a candy cane or have the puree mix into the eggnog in various streaks.

6B) Add in your preference on the spice garnishes. On this version of the recipe, I used nutmeg, ground cinnamon with a pinch of lemon zest along with a generous sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs on top. Then add a cinnamon stick across the lip of the cocktail glass or stick it into the glass and hopefully it’s long enough not to sink entirely. It’s a great tool to stir up the puree.

The ingredient measures are approximate to a degree. You will know by visual and taste if it’s right for you.

Here’s the punchline to this post. There other bloggers posting their Makers 46 Eggnog recipes and also sharing on Instagram. There is a competition going on based on LIKES and Shares with a fabulous prize pack for the winning blogger! If you know me, you know I want to win this. If you don’t know me, now you do (at least a little bit) and you know I want to win too!

Please visit Maker’s Mark Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/makersmark/
Like + comment on my recipe on https://www.instagram.com/makersmark/
The combined number of likes + comments will count towards the win!
It would help if you use the hashtag #GetCozyCocktail!
Ask your friends who are Makers Mark fans to vote as well as those who love eggnog — or just about anyone else.

Merry Christmas and HAPPY NOGGING!!

Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com

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