The Sweeney Eggnog Challenge began as a holiday party in 1999, but its roots go much deeper.
The party is an homage to my paternal grandparents, who hosted an open house every year where my grandfather would make batches of Tom & Jerry for all their guests. This traditional cocktail is similar to eggnog, except:
- It is served warm
- Each serving is “built” inside the mug, similar to a hot buttered rum
My sister and I dabbled at making eggnog when we were home from college at Christmas time (none of which resulted in a recipe we kept).
After starting my own family, we had already established an annual open house event around the Texas-Oklahoma football game. However, we were searching for a theme that would allow us to celebrate deep friendships with a more intimate event.
The first couple of Eggnog parties were primarily focused on store-bought products, although one or two homemade nogs were always made or brought.
The competition really took off once we purchased the Eggnog Cup trophy, which is awarded to the nog voted the best each year!
After about 20 years of the eggnog party, a couple of our fiercest competitors approached and asked us to open the challenge to any holiday cocktail. We agreed, and the challenge kept rolling!
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