Yes, you can drink eggnog warm, and many people actually prefer it that way, especially around the holidays. Warmth also helps ensure safety for homemade versions that use raw eggs, as heating the egg mixture to about 160°F (71°C) kills most harmful pathogens like Salmonella.

Warm vs cold eggnog

  • Store‑bought eggnog is usually pasteurized, so it is safe to drink cold right from the carton, or gently warmed if you like a cozy drink.
  • Traditional homemade eggnog with raw eggs is safer if you turn it into a cooked base, heating the egg‑milk mixture to about 160°F (71°C) before cooling or serving.

Safety tips for warm eggnog

  • For homemade:
    • Gently heat the egg, sugar, and milk/cream mixture while stirring until it reaches around 160°F (71°C), then remove from heat so the eggs do not scramble.
* If you cook it ahead, cool it in the fridge, then re‑warm slowly over low heat or in short microwave bursts, stirring often.
  • For serving temperature:
    • Very hot eggnog (at or above roughly 135°F) is within “hot holding” temperatures restaurants use for safety, but most people prefer it just warm, not scalding.
* Avoid letting eggnog sit for hours at a lukewarm room temperature; like other dairy drinks, it is a high‑risk food if left in the “danger zone” between about 41°F and 135°F for too long.

What people say on forums

  • In cocktail and home‑bar communities, warm eggnog is common; posters often say it’s “totally fine” as long as it is gently heated so the eggs do not curdle.
  • On general Q&A forums, people describe drinking it like a slow, sippable drink—whether cold from the fridge or warmed like a cozy holiday beverage.

Quick how‑to: a simple warm eggnog

  1. Pour store‑bought pasteurized eggnog into a small saucepan.
  2. Heat on low, stirring, until it is steaming but not boiling; if you have a thermometer, aim for about 135–150°F for comfortable sipping.
  1. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, and (optionally) a splash of rum or bourbon for adults, then serve in a mug.

If your eggnog is homemade and includes raw eggs, treat it like a cooked custard: fully heat it once to around 160°F, then cool or re‑warm as needed for safe drinking.

TL;DR: You can drink eggnog warm, and it is often safer and cozier that way—just heat it gently, keep it out of the lukewarm “danger zone” for long periods, and fully cook any raw‑egg recipes at least once. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.