All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Few things in the dairy aisle are as polarizing as eggnog. Some shoppers eagerly anticipate the day the creamy beverage hits store shelves each holiday season. Others will spend an entire office Christmas party telling you the many reasons they despise the stuff. Both interpretations are valid, but today we’re here for the fans. The best store-bought eggnog is out there, and we set out to find it.
Eggnog has a long and storied history. Its exact origins are murky, but it likely evolved from a drink known as posset, a cocktail of milk mixed with wine or ale. By the 13th century, European monks were making a version that included figs and eggs, bridging the gap between archaic versions and the eggnogs more common today. English settlers eventually brought eggnog to America, and even George Washington reportedly penned a popular recipe for the drink. That recipe—said to be found among his kitchen papers—wasn’t published until 1948, in the book Christmas With the Washingtons.
It is, of course, entirely possible to make your own eggnog. Chances are it’ll be significantly less sweet than something you’d buy at a grocery store. Plus, you can tinker with the spicing and texture to your taste. You can also age homemade eggnog for a more complex flavor (as long as it’s above 14% ABV). But sometimes nostalgia calls and only store-bought will do, so we put eight products through a blind taste test to find the very best.
How we set up our taste test
If you grew up enjoying eggnog during the holiday season, chances are you’ve got some preconceived biases. That’s why it was paramount for us to taste these eggnogs blind. We poured each nog into an unmarked carafe, from which we poured our samples. We tested our eggnogs without the addition of alcohol to gauge the drink on its own.
We refrigerated the eggnogs until just before tasting (no one wants room-temperature nog). We also cleansed our glasses and palates between sips (thanks, sparkling water) to ensure each sampling had a fair evaluation.
How we picked the products
There are a lot of eggnogs on the market. We determined early on that this taste test wouldn’t include eggnogs made with alternative milks—a distinct category with its own set of textures and flavors. (But if that’s what you’re in the market for, test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin’s top nog is almond-based Califa Farms.) We also narrowed our list to classically flavored eggnogs (i.e., no chocolate or pumpkin-spiced versions, etc.) but included packages marked “vanilla-flavored” since traditional versions often include vanilla notes.
We began our selection process by polling for staff favorites, then researched winners from taste tests around the web to ensure we weren’t missing any important players. Since this is a seasonal item, a few widely distributed brands, such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, weren’t available when we tested and had to be left out.
How we evaluated
Everyone agreed the best eggnog should have a balance of sweetness and spice. Warming holiday flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves were welcome, but a few wary colleagues mentioned they’d been jolted by overly cloying cartons of eggnogs past.
Texture was another critical factor: Our editors said a great eggnog should be thicker than milk but thinner than English custard. Somewhere in the vicinity of melted ice cream, we agreed, was the sweet spot. We were on the hunt for eggnog that rested solidly in creamy territory but didn’t leave a syrupy coating in the mouth.
Golden Indeed: Hood Golden Eggnog
Of our three winners, Hood Golden Eggnog is the only one to place cream ahead of sugar on its list of ingredients, suggesting the brand uses a higher ratio of cream than some other contenders. Ostensibly, its notably golden color suggests a particularly yolky eggnog. And while it does contain yolks, it also contains Yellows 5 and 6, which contribute to that sunny hue.
Why it won us over: There is no doubt Hood Golden Eggnog is thick. Tasters noticed it left a coating on their glasses as they took their first sips. Commerce writer Alaina Chou compared it to pourable ice cream, which checked a box off our Perfect Eggnog wishlist. Tasters said Hood’s nog was light on spice but rich with a custardy, eggy flavor everyone liked. “You could actually enjoy a full glass of this,” said Ian Stroud, director of creative development, as he took his second sip.
We’d love it with: A bit of bourbon—or a more unique spirit—and a Chewy Molasses Cookie.
The Silky Smooth: Lactaid Lactose-Free Eggnog
Part of the reason eggnog gets a bad rap is that it often results in a not-very-festive tummy ache for many people (this writer included). Lactaid’s eggnog contains the milk, cream, and sugar that makes eggnog delicious—as well as the guar gum and carrageenan used to thicken many a store-bought version. However, it also contains lactase, the enzyme that helps us humans break down dairy. This key inclusion can prevent an upset stomach in dairy-sensitive people.
Why it won us over: Tasters had high hopes when they saw specks of vanilla studded throughout this carafe of eggnog. The spice was mild overall, but tasters agreed nutmeg was the clear standout flavor, along with the sweet eggy richness we were looking for. The texture was thicker than cream but shy of some contenders’ heavy quality. Overall, Lactaid was a light but luscious eggnog our tasters said they’d be happy to enjoy sip after sip.
We’d love it with: A big platter of snap-in-half, dunkable gingerbread cookies.
The Perfectly Spiced Winner: Turkey Hill Egg Nog
While homemade eggnogs rely on the sweetness of cream and sugar, many prepared versions (like Turkey Hill’s) also include high-fructose corn syrup or dextrose. Egg yolks also appear on this brand’s ingredient list, just like they do in most homemade versions.
Why it won us over: Turkey Hill’s eggnog was creamy and rich with a pale buttery hue and featured notes of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Tasters agreed its flavor rose above the average eggnog. “Dynamic!” was how associate commerce editor Megan Wahn described it. While Alaina praised its complex “bourbon vanilla” quality. We would be thrilled to sip a glass (with or without a shot of rum or brandy) by a toasty fire on a cold winter’s night.
We’d love it with: A plate of Iced Sugar Cookies and a couple of Christmas carols.
- Alexandre Family Farm Homegrown Eggnog: Tasters were excited about this offering made with all-organic ingredients, including A2 milk. Unfortunately, it had an overpowering tang that put us off.
- Hood Vanilla Eggnog: Light on texture and absent any spice notes, this eggnog didn’t make the cut.
- Organic Valley Eggnog: Tasters liked the prominent nutmeg flavor here but found this eggnog thinner than ideal.
- Southern Comfort Traditional Egg Nog: The spice notes here were too dominating for our tasters.
- Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice Egg Nog: This eggnog displayed an unpleasant, viscous texture, and several tasters found its flavor too sweet.