Dairy Foods Holiday Inspirations-Part 3 (Let’s Talk about Eggnog)

As the end of 2013 quickly approaches and we all begin to get caught up in the holiday frenzy, The Daily Dose of Dairy Friday blog will tone down a bit until we welcome in the New Year. For the remaining Fridays in 2013, this blog spot will showcase dairy foods and marketing programs new to this holiday season. Hopefully these innovations will spark some ideas you can still implement this year or retain and use for next year.
Have something to share? Please email it to me HERE.


I have not had a glass of eggnog in probably 25 years…and today, after visiting the new Plum Market that opened in Chicago, I will have to revisit this classic holiday beverage thanks to an amazing product I tasted. The product comes from Traderspoint Creamery, which is known for its organic whole milk dairy products made from 100% Grassfed milk and sold in glass packaging. 

Marketed as “Traditional Egg Nog” with a tagline of “Treat Yourself to Real Egg Nog,” I decided to do just that. Honestly, I really was curious as to how much of a treat this 4.5-fluid-ounce glass jar that cost $2.19 could be.

Daily Dose of Dairy subscribers know that I seldom critique a product. I truly want this forum to be a source of new product information, not my opinion. But, oh my gosh, this product is delicious and worth every penny.

For starters, this eggnog’s richness comes from whole milk, cream and egg yolks. (The latter is a requirement in eggnog, per the Standard of Identity: Title 21, Part 131, Section 170 of the Code of Federal Regulations.) It’s not too thick from the addition of stabilizers.

It’s also not too sweet nor overly spiced. It achieves this flavor balance through the addition of evaporated cane juice, vanilla extract and a touch of nutmeg.

It contains a touch of carrageenan to build a bit of viscosity, but the drink truly is light and refreshing. These are not descriptors usually associated with eggnog…or at least not the eggnog I remember from my childhood.

I also like its natural color. Most eggnogs include annatto, turmeric or FD&C yellow to give it a more golden—but also artificial—yellow color. This one gets it slight yellow hue from egg yolks alone. 
It has one of the cleanest ingredient legends of all eggnogs that I am aware of. And that single-serve bottle contains 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 18 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein. Most regular eggnogs are much higher in calories, fat and sugar.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many Americans who like the traditional golden yellow, extra thick eggnog. But I’m guessing there are many (like me), who prefer something that tastes like grandma whipped it up in the kitchen, before she spiked it with rum!

This 4.5-fluid-ounce shot of eggnog served as dessert after my lunch salad. It was satisfying and delicious. I hope the company creates more flavored milk dessert shots. Maybe you will too!