Usually meant for the holidays, eggnog needs your love. You can add bourbon or rum to any store-bought eggnog, but that’s like getting the ubiquitous whiskey and Coke.

Besides, since grocers don't carry eggnog year round, you must make your own. Take a chance and be the rebel to make these out-of-season drinks.

1. Eggnog recipe from an 1897 issue of Nursing World (slightly modernized)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. brandy (original recipe calls for either 2 Tbsp of wine or 1 Tbsp of brandy)
• A few grains of salt
• Slight grating of nutmeg

Preparation: “Beat the egg slightly; add the salt, sugar, and wine; mix thoroughly; add the milk and strain.” Then add the nutmeg. We also recommend cooking gently until the nog thickens and then refrigerating overnight.

2. Candy Cap Eggnog by Executive Chef Kory Stewart at Americano, San Francisco

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1⅓ cup sugar
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 oz. dried candy cap mushrooms

Preparation: Combine sugar and egg yolks. Whisk until smooth. Heat milk and cream to approximately 140 degrees. Add candy caps. Add 1/2 of cream mixture to egg/sugar mixture to temper, the recombine with the rest of the milk and cream. Cook gently, stirring frequently, to 165 degrees, at which point mixture will have thickened. Cool as rapidly as possible.

 Allow to steep overnight, then strain out candy caps.

3. Coquito (Puerto Rican Eggnog), provided by the La Concha Resort, San Juan

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 2 (15 oz.) cans cream of coconut
• 1 (15 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 2 (14 oz.) cans condensed milk
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. coconut (or vanilla) extract

Preparation: Mix all ingredients in a blender.

Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Serve cold.

4. Coquito by Lynnette Marrero, Speed Rack, New York

Note: Acquired a taste for coquito from #3? Try this one. Straight from the Marrero family archives, Lynnette’s variation on the classic coquito uses homemade coconut milk, imparting the fruit’s natural oils.

• 2 large coconuts (or swap in a 12 oz. can of organic coconut milk)
• 1 (12 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• ½ vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups rum* (white rum or a blend of light and dark)
• ¼ cup crushed cinnamon bark or 10 cinnamon sticks (use canela or an intense cinnamon)
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh nutmeg to garnish

*Lynnette says she uses 1 cup aged rum like Zacapa and 1 cup white such as Caña Brava, El Dorado, or Flor de Caña.

Preparation: Boil cinnamon sticks or crushed cinnamon bark and vanilla bean in 1 cup water. Let boil for 2 min. then let sit for 1 hour, strain and reserve the cinnamon. Open coconuts and remove the pulp. (You can crack the coconuts and place in the oven at 300 for 5 minutes to loosen the meat.) Take off the black crust. Wash. In a food processor, grate the coconut meat. In batches, place into an electric blender with 1 cup of rum. Place a strainer with a cloth over a pan and press out the liquid. Return the squeezed-out meat to the blender, add the other cup of rum, and repeat until all coconut oils are released and you have 2 cups liquid. In a blender combine coconut rum, evaporated milk, cinnamon water, and condensed milk. Place in bottles overnight. Store in the refrigerator. Remove 1 hour before serving. Shake well and serve in cups, sprinkled with nutmeg.