GENERAL HARRISON'S EGG NOGG

Hard cider
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp. sugar
2 or 3 small lumps ice

Add all the above ingredients except the cider to a large tumbler, fill with cider, and shake well. This is a splendid drink and is very popular on the Mississippi River. It was General Harrison's favorite beverage.

From Bon-Vivant's Companion by Jerry Thomas, 1862

Comment: For many years this recipe has run with this note: "We have no clue who General Harrison was, but are shocked that a general officer would be drinking hard cider anyway. Shocked, we tell you!" Thanks to alert reader J. Henry Flake Jr. of Battery C, 32nd. Georgia Infantry/Artillery reenactment group, we can add that "Harrison was a Major General, Commander of the 32nd Infantry Regiment of Georgia." Our thanks to Sgt. Flake for the solution to this puzzle!

Now that that mystery is clear up, the only one that remains is why anyone would want to consume an "egg nog" that is based on apple cider, hard or not. It would definitely be a unique addition to any historical presentation carried out during the holiday season.

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