DON’T NOG IT ’TIL YOU TRY IT

10th eggnog competition keeps holiday spirits high

To be sure, the Dec. 6 Jingle Bell Run, parade and the lighting of the state Capitol all brought Christmas in with a bang, but the following weekend brought in eggnog -- eggnog with a kick. Specifically, the 10th Ever Nog-Off, which took place Dec. 12 at Historic Arkansas Museum as an element of Little Rock's Second Friday Art Night.

Arkansas Life and Sync magazine staff writer Emily Van Zandt, haberdasher (and government lawyer) Joel Di­Pippa and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola served as judges -- and Kemistri featuring Nicky Parrish, the musical entertainment -- for an event during which an ever-flowing capacity crowd sampled the noggish creations of nearly 10 competitors. Just prior to the tasting, museum Director Bill Worthen awarded titles of "nogger emerita" to event co-founder Louise Terzia, winner of multiple past competitions, and "nogger emeritus" to David Burnette, also recognized as the "winningest nogger ever." Terzia and Burnette then broke the ceremonial egg to kick things off.

Eggnogs included more traditional-tasting ingredients along with nogs edged with such exotic additions as beer, chai tea, and sweet potato. Eye-opening, gut-warming ingredients included Scotch, bourbon, whiskey and rum.

The emerging winners were Capital Eggnog, which captured the People's Choice Eggnog award and was stirred up by the Capital Hotel's Matthew Dunn, David Cash and Tyler Rogers; and the Firefly Chai Eggnog, which garnered the "Not Your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's Eggnog" award and was made by Matthew Cooper and Brian Townley of Cache Restaurant. John Robert Jackson's Eggnog, a concoction by Bridget Fennell Farris, came away with the Tasters' Choice Award.

The program for the evening included recipes for the competing eggnogs.

High Profile on 12/21/2014

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