Some Nog for Your Holiday Nosh
From richly aged, rye-whiskey eggnog to decades-old, non-spiked hometown recipes, here are four creamy reasons to skip the mass-produced carton this year, raise a glass to the holiday season, and drink local.
From left: Nog from Restaurant Josephine, Gunther’s, Vic’s and Monk’s Cellar. Photo by Marc Thomas Kallweit
Editor’s Note: Vic’s Ice Cream was recently purchased by new owners who closed it for renovations in late November with plans to reopen by summer 2025. While they won’t open in time for the holidays this year, they have confirmed that their eggnog will “definitely be back next year.”
Restaurant Josephine
The Sunday after Halloween, chef-owners Eric Alexander and Courtney McDonald invite this Auburn restaurant’s bartenders and their families to a private dinner where they all whip up the season’s first 50 gallons of nog. Curing into mid-November, the drink is offered to the public by the pint (in charming Mason jars), quart and half gallon through Christmas, or longer if supplies last. The two-decade-old family recipe includes Cognac, bourbon and dark rum, with a sublimely simple spice list of nothing but nutmeg and salt. josephineauburn.com
Gunther’s Ice Cream
First developed by Herman “Pop” Gunther, who founded the eponymous ice cream shop with his wife Iva in 1940, the Curtis Park institution produces up to 1,000 gallons of nonalcoholic eggnog each year (like Vic’s, they also offer the seasonal flavor in ice cream form). Available by the quart from Nov. 1 through the end of the year, each sip is a taste of Sacramento history, with Pop Gunther’s secret recipe unchanged all these generations later. gunthersicecream.com
Vic’s Ice Cream
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, this classic Land Park ice cream parlor whisks up about 100 gallons of their nonalcoholic eggnog “drink mix.” Why does Vic’s call their creation a mix? Because it’s so thick and creamy (the recipe is virtually identical to the one used for their eggnog ice cream) that they recommend cutting the concoction with milk in a 50/50 ratio “to thin it out.” But… let’s just say that’s one guideline that not every liquid-custard-loving patron adheres to. 916-448-0892
The Monk’s Cellar
Named for bar manager Kevin Mack, who crafted the recipe during the early days of the pandemic, “Kevin’s Famous Nog” from The Monk’s Cellar is sold by the glass and the quart, from Thanksgiving week to Christmas week. Making only 30 gallons, the Roseville brewery offers its creamy cheer both nonalcoholic and spiked (with Russell’s Reserve rye whiskey), including an aged version that was allowed to rest for a month for even deeper flavors. monkscellar.com
