Orange Nog

Orange nog is a midcentury breakfast classic, a single egg blended with fresh orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and a dash of angostura bitters. The result is a creamy, citrus-forward drink that punches well above its weight for a 5-minute, blender-only effort.

The whole egg is what makes this nog rather than juice. Blending whips it into a foamy emulsion, giving the drink body, protein, and that pale yellow color that proper egg drinks need. The bitters are the trick that lifts the whole glass: just a dash adds a herbal, slightly bitter complexity that keeps the drink from tasting cloying or one-note.

Use fresh-squeezed orange juice if you can. The flavor difference between fresh and from-concentrate is dramatic in a recipe with so few ingredients to hide behind.

Pro Tips

• Use the freshest egg you can find. Raw eggs carry a small salmonella risk, so buy from a trusted source or use pasteurized eggs in the carton.
• Blend on high for at least 30 seconds to fully emulsify the egg. Underblended nog has stringy egg-white bits that float to the top.
• Chill the orange juice before blending. Cold juice produces a thicker foam and a more refreshing drink.
• Drink it fresh. The foam settles within 10 minutes, and the drink loses its appeal as it sits.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of honey instead of sugar for a different sweetness profile.
• Use a few drops of orange bitters instead of angostura for a more citrus-forward bitter note.
• Spike with a splash of bourbon or rum and serve as a brunch cocktail.