Tom and Jerry Christmas Cocktail

Tom and Jerry

A Tom & Jerry as prepared at Karl Ratzsch's restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Type	Cocktail
Served	Straight up; without ice
Standard drinkware	Mug
Commonly used ingredients	eggs or egg whites, sugar, brandy or rum
Preparation	Mix egg and milk with rum
Notes	Served hot in a mug or bowl

A Tom and Jerry is a traditional Christmastime cocktail in the United States, devised by British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820s. It is a variant of eggnog with brandy andrum added and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl.

Another method uses egg whites, beaten stiff, with the yolks and sugar folded back in, and vanilla extract added. A few spoonfuls are added to a mug, then hot water and rum are added, and it is topped with nutmeg.

A Tom and Jerry is served primarily in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and is difficult to find outside of the Upper Midwest or Northern Rocky Mountain region Pre-made Tom and Jerry batter, typically produced by Wisconsin manufacturers, is sold in regional supermarkets during the Christmas season.

Onomastics

The name is related neither to the popular MGM cartoon characters Tom and Jerry nor to the earlier Tom and Jerry cartoons by Van Beuren Studio, nor to famous bartender "Professor" Jerry Thomas, the author of one of the first bartender's guides, How to Mix Drinks (1862). Instead, it is a reference to Egan's book, Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821), and the subsequent stage play Tom and Jerry, or Life in London (also 1821).

To publicize the book and the play, Egan introduced a variation of eggnog by adding ½ fl oz of brandy, calling it a "Tom and Jerry". The additional fortification helped popularize the drink.