Eggnog most likely comes from medieval England , evolving from a warm milky drink called “posset” that monks and the upper classes enjoyed with eggs, milk, and alcohol. It later traveled to the American colonies, where it became the rich, boozy holiday drink now strongly associated with Christmas in the United States and beyond.

Quick Scoop

  • Eggnog is thought to have originated in Britain, not in the US.
  • Its ancestor was “posset,” a medieval English drink of hot milk curdled with ale or wine, later enriched with eggs and sugar.
  • The name “eggnog” shows up in the 18th century in Britain’s North American colonies, where abundant farms and cheap rum helped turn it into a Christmas staple.

From Posset to Eggnog

  • In the 13th–17th centuries, British monks and aristocrats drank posset-like mixtures of milk, eggs, and alcohol, often used for toasts to health and prosperity.
  • Because milk, eggs, and good wine or sherry were expensive, this early eggnog-style drink started as a luxury for the wealthy.

How It Became “Holiday Eggnog”

  • When the drink crossed to the American colonies in the 1700s, rum replaced pricier European wines and brandies, and local farms supplied the cream and eggs.
  • Over time it attached itself to winter festivities, so today many people assume eggnog is “from” the US, even though its roots are firmly British.

A Few Fun Regional Twists

  • Mexico developed rompope , a close cousin of eggnog made with eggs, milk, sugar, and usually rum or another spirit.
  • Puerto Rico’s coquito swaps in coconut milk or cream, giving a tropical spin to the same creamy, spiced template.

Today’s Answer in One Line

Eggnog started as a posset-like drink in medieval England, then evolved and spread through Europe and the American colonies until it became the classic Christmas egg-and-cream punch known worldwide today.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.