Eggnog To and Fro

What the heck is a nog anyway? According to the dictionary:
nog1 [nog] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. any beverage made with beaten eggs, usually with alcoholic liquor; eggnog.
2. a strong ale formerly brewed in Norfolk, England.

Ever heard of aged eggnog? I hadn't. A friend of mine called with a terrible hangover he got from having what he called fermented eggnog. I'd never heard of such an animal. I started to research it and found that the actual term is Aged Eggnog and some people let it sit for a year before drinking. I found one intriguing recipe that was first tasted at an expat party in Shanghai in the 1920s. In this recipe the author suggests letting the nog sit for 3 weeks but many think a year makes it better. There is another recipe on NPR's website that sounds delish and has a delightful story behind it. This one suggests letting the nog age from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I may attempt one of these next year!

Finally, I tried the newest Limited Edition Haagen-Dazs flavor, simply called "Eggnog". It smells just like a carton of fresh eggnog and has a rich, sweet, cream flavor. There are caramelly ribbons throughout and very light hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Now eggnog is something for me I can have a small cup of each year. It's so rich, so distinct and so fatty that it coats my mouth and throat and really I'm sated very quickly. I did not find the icecream to be as thickly creamy? but perhaps more sweet than liquid eggnog. In my opinion, if you are using it as a tiny scoop to accompany a hot dessert, or the cranberry chocolate cookies, it would be festive. But I wouldn't want more than a spoonful or three :) because there is no counterbalance. There is no crunch or savory or spicy anything. Only the caramelly sugary swirls that add nutmeg but rarely anything else to the palate.