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Eggnog is the supreme winter holiday beverage. Milk, eggs, sugar, and spices combine to make an unbeatable concoction. There are many brands of eggnog available for purchase in New Hope, but until now, nobody has delved deep enough into nog-craft to truly discover the greatest eggnog.
The ‘nogs provided by Hood, Merrymead Farm, Southern Comfort, Turkey Hill, and Wawa were pitted against each other in the ultimate eggnog battle: The Great Holiday Nog-Off. The Lion’s Tale resident taste testers, Colin Keyes and Felix Timmons, partook in a blind taste test presided over by an independent adjudicator, Joey Tebben, to decide the greatest eggnog available for purchase in the New Hope area.
Eggnogs were tasted blind and given a rating out of 10 by both reviewers. The points were added together for a final ‘nog score. Here are the final results. For an all-access viewing experience of the tasting process, visit the Lion’s Tale website to see the video review.
5. Merrymead Farm
(Colin: 6,
Felix: 4, Total: 10/20)
The wildcard of the bunch was from Merrymead Farm in
Lansdale, PA. The ‘nog made from farm-fresh milk and eggs was the favorite
coming into the test. However, in the blind taste test, it was aptly compared
to a “watered down vanilla ice cream” and the reviewers found it “too foamy.”
Not only was it the most expensive of the bunch; it was the blandest of the
bunch. Merrymead’s offering was entirely disappointing and the worst eggnog experience by far.
4. Turkey Hill
(Colin: 7,
Felix: 8, Total: 15/20)
The Pennsylvania favorite was one of the more familiar
‘nogs, but it fell short in the taste test. With an artificial, alcohol-ish,
mediocre flavor, it dropped to second to last in the rankings. It’s definitely
drinkable if that’s the only thing available, but there are much better choices
on the market.
3. Southern
Comfort
(Colin: 8,
Felix: 8, Total: 16/20)
One of the two nationally available brands in the taste
test, Southern Comfort is more well-known for their adult beverages, but they sell
a non-alcoholic eggnog mix. Their ‘nog was possibly the tastiest, but it tasted
more like a liquid cinnamon roll than an eggnog. If you’re looking for a
traditional eggnog, Southern Comfort is not for you. But, if you want a
delicious twist on a holiday classic, pick up some Southern Comfort ‘nog.
2. Hood
(Colin: 9,
Felix: 9, Total: 18/20)
The other of the two nationally available brands, Hood was
the underdog coming into the test. The 172-year-old company’s packaging did not
exactly catch the eye, but it provided a fantastic ‘nog experience. The
fantastic ‘nog caused an instinctual human reaction in Felix: “Oh [expletive]
that’s good.” Colin echoed these sentiments in a less vulgar way and Hood’s
eggnog joined the upper echelon of ‘nog glory. Hood’s product was fantastic,
but it could not quite beat our winner.
1. Wawa
(Colin: 9,
Felix: 9, Total: 18/20)
WHAT!? Everyone reading this paper is probably asking:
“Wawa received the same score as Hood, how did it win?” In the blind taste
test, Wawa did tie with Hood. It was a fantastic ‘nog, but it wasn’t quite good
enough to pull ahead of Hood. This led to a sudden-death battle of supremacy
between Hood and Wawa to find the true best eggnog. In the second blind taste
test, Wawa reigned supreme. Wawa’s eggnog was less sweet and had a milder
flavor than Hood’s, but that is what put it on top. It was not too sweet, not
too thick, not too thin, not too eggy… it was just right. Congratulations to
Wawa, the Great Holiday Nog-Off champion!
Colin Keyes and Felix Timmons contributed
to this article.
