This Popular Holiday Drink Is Rooted In Black History

eggnog drink
Via Pxhere
Adé Hennis
December 16, 2024

Eggnog is a staple in winter holiday tradition, with an average of 135 million pounds consumed yearly in the U.S.. But the drink also has powerful ties to our history.

Eggnog is commonly made with some type of alcohol, and in the 18th century, Americans relied on rum imported from the Caribbean islands to make it. It was much more expensive to make with alcohol imported from the U.K.

In the early 1800s, beverage expert Cato Alexander went from being enslaved to opening his own bar in New York. Amongst his signature cocktails was eggnog. People across the nation came to Cato’s to experience it, popularizing the drink in Black culture.

Eggnog has many variations, many grounded in Caribbean culture. Coquitos, for example, are a popular type of eggnog that has traveled to the U.S. along with a healthy sense of pride. Competitions are held in New York to see who makes it the best.

No matter where we live, our connections run deep. While eggnog is usually a holiday drink, the beverage proves that our unity is something to celebrate every single day of the year.

We have a quick favor to ask:

PushBlack is a nonprofit dedicated to raising up Black voices. We are a small team but we have an outsized impact:

  • We reach tens of millions of people with our BLACK NEWS & HISTORY STORIES every year.
  • We fight for CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM to protect our community.
  • We run VOTING CAMPAIGNS that reach over 10 million African-Americans across the country.

And as a nonprofit, we rely on small donations from subscribers like you.

With as little as $5 a month, you can help PushBlack raise up Black voices. It only takes a minute, so will you please ?

Share This Article: