How is milk punch different from eggnog?

What is the main difference?

Eggs. Eggnog is made with beaten eggs (or yolks), milk or cream, sugar and spices, which gives it a custard-like body. Milk punch has no eggs, so it is lighter, thinner and more like sweet spiked milk. The two are related: eggnog is described as a variation of milk punch, sometimes even called egg milk punch.

What is in milk punch?

A typical milk punch uses milk or half-and-half, a spirit, sugar or simple syrup and vanilla, topped with grated nutmeg. It is often shaken with ice and strained. It is common in New Orleans and a Christmas tradition in parts of the American South. Milk punch is old: it is recorded in a 1688 travel account and a recipe appears in an 1711 cookbook. Benjamin Franklin wrote down a version in 1763. There is also a clarified milk punch, where the milk is curdled with the spirit and acid and then strained to give a clear, silky drink that keeps well.

What is in eggnog?

Milk, cream, sugar, eggs and nutmeg, with or without liquor. Store-bought eggnog is usually pasteurized and sold in cartons, and some is non-alcoholic. Check the label.

Is homemade eggnog safe?

Raw eggs can carry salmonella. Food-safety guidance for homemade eggnog is to cook the egg and milk base gently, to about 160 F, before chilling, or to use pasteurized eggs. Adding alcohol should not be relied on to make raw eggs safe. People who are pregnant, elderly, very young or have a weak immune system should be especially careful.

Which is better?

It is a matter of taste. Choose eggnog for a rich, dessert-like drink and milk punch for something lighter, or for a drink with no raw egg. Both contain milk, and milk punch usually contains alcohol, so they are not for everyone. One US standard drink is 14 g of pure alcohol, about 1.5 fl oz of 80-proof spirits, and a glass of either can contain more than one.