Served hot, the Tom & Jerry is a cocktail comprised of an egg and sugar batter, brandy, rum and hot milk or hot water. But there’s room for variation. The liquor is traditionally a mix of brandy and rum but can be bourbon or even honey whiskey.
Despite what a time-tested and staid a recipe the classic Tom & Jerry is, there are always a few who like to buck trend and subvert tradition. For those people I recommend tinkering with the drink and inventing something uniquely your own—whether it follows suit with the original drink or flies in the face of it.
Here is an unapologetically bastardized version of the Tom & Jerry that should be considered an affront to the sensibilities of all seasonal cocktail drinkers.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce coconut rum
- 1 ounce cinnamon whiskey
- 2 heaping tablespoons Tom & Jerry batter
- Hot water
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Toasted coconut flakes
Preparation
1. Pour the rum and whiskey into a coffee mug or hot toddy cocktail glass.
2. Stir in one spoonful of batter.
3. Fill almost full with hot water.
4. Add the second scoop of batter as a dollop to top off the drink.
5. Top with sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg and toasted coconut flakes.
About this recipe
Making Tom & Jerry batter from scratch can be an enjoyable holiday project, but it’s also a tradition in which local grocers, bakers and other purveyors take great pride. Play the field, try different batches, find a favorite and tell your friends.
