Eggnog is generally credited to medieval England (the British Isles), where it evolved from a hot milk drink called posset that monks and aristocrats drank with eggs, milk or cream, and alcohol.

Where eggnog started

  • Historians trace eggnog back to posset , a warm, milky, spiced drink popular in medieval England, especially among the wealthy.
  • By the 13th century, British monks were already drinking posset with added eggs and figs, creating an early ancestor of modern eggnog.

From England to America

  • The drink spread from England to its North American colonies in the 18th century, where it picked up the name “eggnog.”
  • In the colonies, rum from the Caribbean replaced heavily taxed European wine and brandy, and with plenty of local milk and eggs, eggnog became a popular winter and Christmas drink.

Why people say “England” rather than “USA”

  • Encyclopedias and food historians describe eggnog as a drink that originated in Britain but became especially associated with the United States after it crossed the Atlantic.
  • Some American stories claim it was invented in the colonies in the late 1700s, but these are considered unlikely because similar egg-and-milk punches already existed in England and Scotland earlier.

Related drinks in other countries

  • Many countries developed their own egg-based or eggnog-like drinks: for example, kogel mogel in Poland, eierlikör in Germany, rompope in Mexico, and coquito in Puerto Rico.
  • These variations support the view that the original “eggnog” came from Europe (especially England), then spread and adapted to local tastes worldwide.

TL;DR: When asking “which country created eggnog,” the best supported answer is England (in the broader British Isles context) , with the modern holiday version later popularized in the United States.