Ah, yes. More than one reader's curiosity was piqued by that little reference we slipped in.
First, a bit of background. Egg nog is a beverage associated with winter holidays, consisting of milk and cream, beaten eggs (for the frothy texture), sugar, and spices (cinnamon and nutmeg). Some nogs are spiked with brandy, whiskey, or rum.
Ellis Island's nog, made from a secret recipe, was created by Gary Ellis himself many years ago. He originally concocted the highly potent brew in small batches for close friends and family. But it's hard to keep a good nog quiet and as one friend raved to another, demand for the rare festive elixir grew larger and larger.
Hence, for the last five years, it's been made by the barrel, mixed by Ellis Island's own award-winning microbrewery using Gary's original secret recipe. This year's batch went on sale at Ellis Island and all Village Pub locations on October 29. It's available by the glass for $4 or in a decorative bottle for $29.95 (they decided to absorb the increase in product cost and keep it at last year's price -- a noble seasonal gesture, which we applaud).
They generally make only 2,000 bottles, which will all sell out by the first of the year, so you'll almost certainly be too late by Jan. 16. If you have a casino host over there, perhaps you can persuade him to put a bottle aside until your arrival.
