Cocktail Of The Month: Ceres' Table's Eggnog

by Amy Cavanaugh

Hours: Mon to Thur, 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., Fri and Sat, 5 p.m. until 11 p.m., and closed Sunday

The seriously good Italian-influenced menu at Ceres' Table is worth a trip to Ravenswood (for the pumpkin ravioli alone!), and the cocktail menu is stacked with well-made drinks. One of their winter drinks, Ceres' Holiday Eggnog, is a treat even after the holidays are over. Chef Giuseppe Scurato shared his take on the classic with CBSChicago.com, so you can whip up the drink at home for a festive post-holiday winter soiree.

Ceres' Holiday Eggnog

Ingredients:

1 oz. Mathilde Black Currant Liqueur
1.25 egg yolks
0.75 oz. heavy cream
0.5 oz. simple syrup
1.5 oz. Xanté
1 pinch clove
1 pinch cinnamon
2 pinches nutmeg

Directions:

1. Shake all ingredients hard and strain into a cognac glass.
2. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

CBSChicago.com: What inspired this drink?

Giuseppe Scurato: It's a warming, very old school drink. It's very straightforward to make and people love to drink it during the winter.

CBSChicago.com: Have you offered this drink before? How long is it available?

GS: It's the first time we're offering this recipe. I've made eggnogs before that were very traditional. It will be available until January.

CBSChicago.com: How much is 1.25 egg yolks?

GS: Each egg yolk is about one ounce, so it ends up being one yolk and part of a second one. But the recipe doesn't have to be exact, since it's not a pastry recipe. There's some flexibility for the person creating the drink.

CBSChicago.com: At what point in the meal would you drink this?

GS: It's more like an after-dinner drink. I've had egg nog before a meal, but I think at a restaurant it works best after dinner.