Tom and Jerry Batter Mix and Cocktail Drink Recipe (2024)

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Tom and Jerry cocktail recipe is a classic holiday cocktail drink that is enjoyed by many starting with the Thanksgiving holiday all the way to New Year’s day. The main ingredients of the Tom and Jerry batter is made of beaten eggs, sugar, and vanilla. A healthy scoop of the batter is added to the cup, then hot water, and the liquor of your choice (rum, brandy or whiskey) is stirred in. The Tom and Jerry cocktail is finally topped with a dash of nutmeg. The taste is best described as drinking a warm Christmas sugar cookie. Once you make your first batch of batter mix, it gets a bit addictive as it is so easy to make and so delicious!

The Tom and Jerry cocktail drink is a Christmas tradition for my family. We have been making Tom and Jerry drinks to mark the Christmas season for as long as I can remember. For some reason, the men in our family like to mix up the batter mix and prepare the cocktails. Maybe it is because they are looking forward to the first cup! Traditionally, we prepare the Tom and Jerry batter and serve up with Whisky to the adults on Christmas Eve. The kids get to enjoy virgin Tom and Jerry’s too so everyone in the family is included. Virgin Tom and Jerry drinks are just as delicious with just the batter mixed with hot water and the liquor is omitted.I can not imagine Christmas without this Tom and Jerry Drink!

Tom and Jerry’s are often mistaken for eggnog – but eggnog it is not! A Tom and Jerry cocktail drink is light with a foamy crown that forms when hot water is stirred into the batter. Tom and Jerry’s have more of a sweet vanilla flavor (hence the feeling of drinking a warm sugar cookie) while eggnog is a thicker/heavier drink. There are no egg whites used to make eggnog foamy and it is more of a milk-baseddrink with a combination of spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Please check out my Christmas Prime Rib Dinner Menu and Holiday Open House Menu which includes this delicious holiday Tom and Jerry Batter recipe.

History of Tom and Jerry Cocktails:

There is debate on the origin of the Tom and Jerry Drink, whether it was invented by a British journalist who named the drink after characters in his popular novel in the 1820’s or if it was invented by an American bartender in 1850 who first published a recipe. The Tom and Jerry drink used to be extremely popular in the United States. For over one hundred years, you could even buy Tom and Jerry drink sets. A resurgence of the drink’s popularity came about in the 1940’s after the World War II. This is most likely due to more families entertaining at home instead of the bars.

Special drink sets were sold with a punch bowl for the batter and matching mugs with “Tom and Jerry” written on the bowl and each mug. We do not see Tom and Jerry’s served as much nowadays, but this cocktail still lives on strongly in the Midwest, especially in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Perhaps it due to the long cold winters in this area of the country. It is very common for Midwesterner’s to find the Tom and Jerry drink batter in their local markets during the holiday season.

Examples of antique Tom and Jerry drink sets from the 1940s

1821 – Pierce Egan, British journalist and author of the popular novel, “The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, Esq. and His Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom” and the following stage play “Tom and Jerry, or Life in London” is rumored to have named a “Tom and Jerry” drink after characters in his book as a publicity stunt. Egan’s version is a variation of eggnog that added brandy in addition to the rum. The additional alcohol made the drink very popular.


1862
– “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a famous American bartender from New York City and author of the first bartender guide, “How to Mix Drinks: or, The Bon-Vivant’s Companion,” 1862, includes some of the earliest recipes for America’s favorite cocktails. His recipe version for Tom and Jerry’s calls for 12 eggs and uses hot water instead of milk. Because of the book’s popularity, Americans have adopted this Tom and Jerry recipe and the drink was extremely popular across the United States until his death in 1885:

5 lbs. sugar
12 eggs
1/2 small glass of Jamaica rum
1 1/2 teaspoonful of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice

Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and the yolks until they are as thin as water, then mix together and add the spice and rum, thicken with sugar until the mixture attains the consistence of a light batter. To deal out Tom and Jerry to customers: Take a small bar glass, and to one table-spoonful of the above mixture, add one wine-glass of brandy, and fill the glass with boiling water, grate a little nutmeg on top.

Adepts at the bar, in serving Tom and Jerry, sometimes adopt a mixture of ½ brandy, ¼ Jamaica rum and ¼ Santa Cruz rum, instead of brandy plain. This compound is usually mixed and keep in a bottle and a wine-glassful is used to each tumbler of Tom and Jerry.N.B. – A tea-spoonful of cream of tartar, or about as much carbonate of soda as you can get on a dime, will prevent the sugar from settling to the bottom of the mixture.

NOTE: The original version of the drink needed all that sugar to thicken the mixture against the hot water.

1952 – Puerto Rican Rum advertisement in Life Magazine, Nov 17, 1952, pg 110, features “Traditional American Drinks – Delicious with Puerto Rican Rum:

Tom and Jerry: Into the beaten yolk of 1 egg, work 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp Allspice, 2 oz. Puerto Rican Rum, beating until smooth and thick. Beat egg white separately to stiff froth and add to above mixture, stirring well. Put this mixture into a preheated mug, fill with hot milk or boiling water and dust with nutmeg. History’s all-time greatest Winter Warmer.

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Tom and Jerry Batter and Drink Recipe:

Course:Drinks

Cuisine:American

Keyword:Tom and Jerry Batter and Drink Recipe

Author: What's Cooking America

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 6eggs,separated and room temperature*
  • 2 1/4cups superfinesugar,divided**
  • Saltto taste, just a small pinch
  • 1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
  • 1cuppowdered milk
  • Boiling water
  • Rum,Brandy, or whiskey (your choice)
  • Nutmeg

Instructions

  1. We usually triple (3 times) the recipe for our family.

  2. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks until thick; set aside.

  3. In a large bowl of your electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, fold 1/2 cup superfine or granulated sugar slowly into the prepared egg whites.

  4. Using your rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg yolks into the egg whites with the sugar.

  5. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups superfine or granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

  6. Still using your rubber spatula, slowly and gradually fold in the powdered milk.

  7. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, and use as needed. Will keep up to one (1) week in the refrigerator. Mixture will probably separate in the refrigerator. No problem - just stir and use. The drink will still turn out frothy and delicious.

  8. Serves many.

  9. How To Make Tom and Jerry Drinks:

  10. Make each individual serving in a large cup or mug:

  11. Place 1 to 3 heaping tablespoons of prepared Tom and Jerry batter into each cup (amount depends on size of cup and to your taste preference). Our family uses 3 heaping tablespoons for an 8-ounce cup.

  12. Add boiling water to fill cups to 3/4 full.

  13. Add 1 ounce of either rum, brandy, or whiskey to each cup (use the amount of liquor you desire - for children, leave the liquor out).

  14. Stir until well blended. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

    Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

* I know that they say you should not use raw eggs anymore! We do and have for many, many years. Just be sure and purchase very fresh or pasteurized eggs to use for this wonderful drink.

** If you can't find superfine sugar (also called Baker's sugar), use regular granulated sugar. I like to use the superfine sugar because it dissolves easier.

Watch a Video to Learn to Make Tom and Jerry Cocktails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBgIoH0RsqA

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Hot Buttered Rum
Another classic winter and holiday drink batter full of butter, brown sugar and ice cream that you store in the freeze and mix with hot water and rum for a delicious hot toddy drink.

Egg Nog Punch
This is an excellent egg nog recipe for a large crowd during the holidays.
Mexican Egg Nog (Rompope)
Rompope, also known as Rompope de Santa Clara, is the Mexican version of the popular holiday egg nog. The word “rompope” is a derivation of the word “pope.” This is a favorite holiday drink in Mexico, and since Rompope is strong and sweet, it is meant to be sipped in small glasses.

Italian Affogato – Affogato al Cafe
Affogato means “drowned” in Italian or “drowned in coffee.” It is a dish of perfect, preferably smooth ice cream, drowning in a cup of espresso – like a decadent coffee float!

References:
The Kitchen Project website, Food History, The History of Egg Nog, by Stephen Block, Dec 16, 2006.
The Etsy Blog, Kitchen Histories: The Tom and Jerry, by Sarah Lohman, Dec 17, 2012.
Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: From the Alamagoozlum Cocktail to the Zombie, by Ted Haigh, October 1, 2004.
MaClean’s website, Tom and Jerry, and boughs of holly, by Sarah Elton, Dec 21, 2009.

Comments from readers:

When I found your site it just jumped out at me because of theTom and Jerry Batterrecipe. It brought back so many great memories of my childhood. I was raised in the San Francisco Bay area. Every spirit shop carried Tom and Jerry mix. I have not seen it in years. Mom and Dad would never go a year with out T&J mix in the house for drop in guest or parties. I just wanted to thank you for bringing fond memories back. I lost my Mom and Dad within 3 years of each other. Holidays are when I really miss them so much. Now that I have found your site I will keep coming back. I will also tell my friends what a great site you have. Thanks For TheMemories.– Reverend Dee Dee De MossI am so happy to find this recipe. This was the favorite holiday tradition for me and my father. There used to be a beverage dock and the owner made it for the holidays and I have never been able to find it in years. This will be a chance for me to start the tradition again with my now married family and honor my father. Thank you.– Willie

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Categories:

Christmas Egg Recipes Holiday Drinks

Comments and Reviews

Tom and Jerry Batter Mix and Cocktail Drink Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Tom and Jerry Batter Mix and Cocktail Drink Recipe? ›

If you want to try something a little different, try making your own homemade eggnog. The main difference between eggnog and the Tom and Jerry is that eggnog is usually served cold whereas this Tom and Jerry drink is served warm.

How do you make Tom and Jerry? ›

Directions
  1. For the batter: Beat the egg yolks well, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the rum and spices. ...
  2. For serving: For each drink, put 2 ounces of batter into a toddy mug. Add 1 ounce each of brandy and aged rum (bourbon or rye whiskey also work well), and fill with equal parts hot milk and boiling water.

What's the difference between eggnog and Tom and Jerry batter? ›

If you want to try something a little different, try making your own homemade eggnog. The main difference between eggnog and the Tom and Jerry is that eggnog is usually served cold whereas this Tom and Jerry drink is served warm.

What is a Tom and Jerry made of? ›

During blustery Midwestern winters, Tom and Jerrys are a holiday staple. Mugs of velvety egg batter are spiked with hot rum and brandy, then topped with hot water or milk and finished with baking spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.

What is the history of the Tom and Jerry cocktail? ›

A Tom and Jerry is a traditional Christmas-time cocktail in the United States, sometimes attributed to British writer and professional boxing journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820s. It is a variant of eggnog with brandy and rum added and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl.

Does Tom and Jerry batter expire? ›

To make the drink, you'll add about 3/4 of a shot of rum and cognac to each mug. Use your favorite milk in this drink. Whole milk is best, in my opinion, it makes for a richer beverage. Store leftover Tom and Jerry batter in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

What cocktail is similar to eggnog? ›

Typically made around Christmastime, the Tom and Jerry is a classic cocktail that looks and tastes a lot like eggnog.

What do you call eggnog with alcohol? ›

"Tom and Jerry is a form of hot eggnog [cocktail] that was once popular." The Tom and Jerry was invented by British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820s, using brandy and rum added to eggnog and served hot, usually in a mug or a bowl. It is a traditional Christmastime cocktail in the United States.

What alcohol is most commonly used in eggnog? ›

While brandy is the most traditional alcohol to pair with eggnog, according to traditional recipes, you can also use a mixture of dark rum and Cognac. If you like your eggnog with more of a kick you can also add bourbon, but we recommend sticking to rum and Cognac to preserve the 'nog's flavors.

Why is Tom and Jerry mix called Tom and Jerry? ›

Egan wrote a book, and subsequent play, called Life in London, in which the main characters are named Tom and Jerry. It is believed that he introduced the cocktail as a way to promote his book and play.

What's the difference between Tom and Jerry and hot buttered rum? ›

Both are also spiced. However, a batter instead of butter (see what we did there?) is used to make a Tom and Jerry rich and creamy. Q. Is honey a good addition to hot buttered rum?

What did Tom and Jerry used to be called? ›

Tom & Jerry were originally named "Jasper & Jinx" by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Only Tom was ever identified on-screen by his original name ("Jasper"). The name Jinx was used by H&B in their television cartoon about the mice Pixie and Dixie and their adversary the feline Mr. Jinx.

Where did Tom and Jerry batter originate? ›

The Tom and Jerry's origins are frequently traced back to a clever publicity stunt orchestrated by the British journalist Pierce Egan. The story goes that Egan added brandy to eggnog to create a signature cocktail to promote his 1821 book, Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq.

Who invented Tom and Jerry mix? ›

The invention of the Tom and Jerry cocktail is generally credited to British journalist Pierce Egan in the 1820's. Mr. Egan wrote a book, and subsequent play, called Life in London, in which the main characters are named Tom and Jerry.

What cocktails did Jerry Thomas invent? ›

The Professor invented several cocktails over the course of his career, including the Tom and Jerry, Lamb's Wool, and Champarelle.

What cut of meat is Tom and Jerry? ›

This steak is a cross section of a steer's leg and is often sold as a “Bone in Arm Roast”. Because the steak is a cross sectional leg cut it results in several noteworthy features. . . . . .

What is the piece of meat in Tom and Jerry? ›

Well yes it does it's called the sirloin and it's a difficult steak to cook (or so I have heard) because of some parts being tough while others are tender. What if Tom catches Jerry and eats him?

What is the cheese in Tom and Jerry? ›

In Tom and Jerry they used Yellow Cheese, its a Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese, It has a savory but mild taste.

What happened to the creator of Tom and Jerry? ›

According to Deitch, although he was followed by the StB and his phone was tapped, he was never aware of their presence and was never interrogated nor arrested. in 2008, Deitch retired from making cartoons. Deitch died in Prague on April 16, 2020, at the age of 95.

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