The Free Ingredient Everyone Has That Instantly Upgrades Store-Bought Eggnog

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Eggnog is one of our favorite tipples of the holiday season, but why not hack it to make it better? We've previously covered how to elevate store-bought gravy by dousing it with alcohol, but our eggnog enhancement doesn't actually add anything substantial. To make your festive quaff even lighter, airier, and more phenomenally drinkable, just shake it vigorously with ice.

You've undoubtedly heard of shaken espresso with ice at your favorite coffee-centric drive-thru, and shaking cocktails is a great way to introduce air bubbles that incorporate airy texture in a mixed drink. Shaking eggnog with ice works for many of the same reasons: it slightly dilutes the sweetness (which can be aggressive in store-bought 'nog), chills the drink rapidly, and makes it exquisitely frothy and light. Move over, holiday eggnog Jell-O shots; there's a new supreme eggnog style in town.

All you need is ice, really. A cocktail shaker, which can come as part of a larger bartending kit, is a nice bonus, but it's hardly a requirement. Any container with a tightly sealed lid is going to do the trick capably. Individual servings would shake up just fine in a mason jar, for instance. Fill your vessel most of the way with ice, seal it securely — we really cannot stress that part enough — and give it an energetic shaking. You can choose to pour your eggnog over some of the ice or strain it out. Your beverage will be cold, refreshing, and taste much closer to homemade eggnog.

Many people don't just serve eggnog plain from the bottle, and you can shake up your eggnog and enjoy the same benefits even if you choose to incorporate booze or any other little bonuses. One we spoke to dubbed whiskey, brandy, or rum as the best liquors to add to eggnog, but you needn't stop with the traditional spiking elements. Coffee liqueur or Irish cream will both add flavor as well as a gentle kiss of alcoholic heat, or you can sub peppermint schnapps, ginger liqueur, or vanilla vodka for a sweet, boozy edge. Speaking of vanilla, even non-alcoholic eggnog will shine with some high-quality vanilla extract, as well as warming spices, actual coffee, or chocolate syrup.

Prefer a bit of a savory twist to really temper the sweetness of store-bought eggnog? We've heard good things about bourbon and maple syrup with a garnish of crumbled bacon (yes, really), some pureed pumpkin for a taste of autumn gone by, or a mixture of lemon and buttermilk to add real tang to your glass. Best of all, no matter what you add, you don't need to expend much mental energy on how to turn it into shaken eggnog. Simply mix your eggnog cocktail in your shaking vessel and proceed with your original modus operandi: add ice and shake, shake, shake! We predict that, once you try it, you will never want to settle for "plain" eggnog again. Shaking eggnog is a fun holiday tradition that we can get behind, adding tremendous value with little extra effort and practically no expense.