We Tasted And Ranked 13 Store-Bought Eggnogs

For many, nothing says the holiday season like a cold glass of eggnog. There are lots of recipes out there if you want to try your hand at some homemade eggnog for your holiday party, but if you're tight on time or would rather not go to the trouble of making it yourself, there's no shortage of store-bought nog varieties to satisfy every craving. Whether you need something vegan, lactose-free, or just plain delicious, the number of brands can be intimidating. Fear not! You don't need to go out and buy a whole assortment of eggnog varieties to find your favorite because we've done the work for you. We tasted 13 different store-bought eggnog varieties to determine which ones you should try and which you should leave on the grocery store shelf. 

Every eggnog was sampled in the same glass, which was briefly cooled under cold water after washing to make for the same crisp, cool eggnog experience. Sampling focused on each eggnog's unique characteristics, including smell, color, flavor, and mouthfeel. Later, every eggnog was tasted a second time in a head-to-head tasting to help narrow down the final ranking, which we present now without further ado.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer/distributor/etc.

Another vegan option, Califia Farms Holiday Nog, made with almond milk, landed in the 12th spot on our list. While this particular nog has a few things going for it, like a better color than some of the alternative milk nogs and a nice nutmeg aroma, the flavor (while good overall) is just a little off. 

Likely owing to either the "dash of ginger" the brand touts or the fruit and vegetable juices used for color in place of eggs, this holiday nog has an almost herbaceous undertone that, while not altogether unpleasant up front, makes for a chemical-like aftertaste. It's also thin but slimy all at once, likely due to the guar and gellan gums used as thickeners. While it's possible this nog could be improved with a bit of zhuzhing up, that kind of defeats the purpose of using a store-bought nog in the first place, doesn't it?

Coming in at number 10 on our list is the first so-called traditional eggnog of the bunch, Hood Golden Eggnog. This eggnog has the nice pale yellow color we expect from eggnog, which is normally colored in part by egg yolks. It also has a nice creamy consistency but isn't particularly thick and doesn't have an aftertaste. Unfortunately, we couldn't smell any spices in this eggnog, or see any evidence of nutmeg. Nutmeg isn't even listed as one of the ingredients for this eggnog — only the very vague "natural and artificial flavors" and "spice" are included. 

That lack of nutmeg, paired with an abundance of sweetness, makes Hood Golden Eggnog taste exactly like melted vanilla ice cream. It certainly tastes good if you're someone who likes vanilla ice cream, but doesn't taste like what we expect from eggnog — and we weren't able to have more than a few sips before the overwhelming sweetness became too much. 

Trader Joe's Light Egg Nog has what we would call a traditional eggnog smell with plenty of warm holiday spices. Those spices are also visible as specks in the nog, but unfortunately, that's where the positive notes about its appearance end. This nog is very yellow, to the point we double and triple-checked the expiration date to make sure it wasn't a sign of nog-gone-bad before we tasted it. Luckily, for our stomachs, it seems the eggnog really is just that color. As far as consistency goes, this nog is quite a bit thinner than its full-fat counterparts, which is expected given fat-free milk as its first ingredient. 

What we find most surprising, however, is that there doesn't appear to be anything in the ingredients that accounts for the yellow color or the somewhat earthy flavor of this nog. While the earthy spice turmeric is an ingredient, along with annatto extract (for color), both of those ingredients also appear in the regular version of Trader Joe's Egg Nog, which does not have the characteristic color or flavor of the light nog. We can only assume that either the proportion of ingredients differs or that the fat in the regular nog is a better match for the ingredients than fat-free milk.  

Out of the container, PET Eggnog looks and smells exactly like what we would expect from eggnog. It is pretty thick, pale yellow, and has visible flakes of nutmeg and other spices. Upon first taste, it also has the flavor we expect from eggnog and is creamy without leaving behind any weird residual sliminess that can sometimes happen with eggnog. It does, however, have a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste and, when consumed in large gulps, produces a bit of a burning sensation rather than being refreshing. 

We suspect this burning sensation may be the result of high fructose corn syrup being the only sweetener in this nog, whereas other nogs on our list that include it as an ingredient also contain other sweeteners like sugar and regular corn syrup to balance the sweetness. Still, PET Eggnog is a solid choice that checks many of the boxes for holiday nog, earning it the 6th highest ranking.

Southern Comfort Traditional Egg Nog comes out of the carton pretty unassuming. Unlike its pale yellow counterparts, this nog has more of a cream color, which makes sense given that its second ingredient is cream (after only milk). Its smell is what we would call delicate, with no strong scent of spices, though the flavor of nutmeg is present (if light) and there are some visible specks of spices. This nog's consistency is thick but not slimy and is the sort of drink that gives your glass some heft. 

What makes this eggnog rank so highly on our list is how approachable and drinkable it is. Great for a holiday party, this nog has the flavors we expect from eggnog, but no part of it is overpowering — it is a bit sweeter than a few of the other lower-ranking eggnogs, but the sweetness feels balanced overall. Unsurprisingly, based on the brand alone, this eggnog would probably make for a terrific spiked eggnog cocktail.

In a surprise outcome, the second-best eggnog on our list is the lactose-free Lactaid Eggnog. Importantly, lactose-free is not the same thing as dairy-free; this eggnog option contains milk, so is not appropriate for vegans or people with a dairy allergy, but has the inclusion of the lactase enzyme that helps to break down lactose in milk making it easier for people who are lactose intolerant to absorb. What this means is that nothing else about the eggnog required alteration to make it lactose-free. In fact, its first five ingredients are milk, sugar, cream, egg yolks, and fat-free milk. It also doesn't contain any corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise). 

This eggnog is creamy with no burn or aftertaste. It has a nice pale yellow color thanks to both the egg yolks and a bit of yellow food dye along with some nice dark specks of spices. The flavor isn't overwhelmingly nutmeg-forward, but it's certainly more complex than a straight vanilla flavor. Overall it's a really solid option whether you have a problem digesting lactose or not.