The grandfather of American bartending, “Professor” Jerry Thomas, is credited with developing the Tom & Jerry – one of the quintessential wintertime drafts. According to his 1862 publication, “The Bar-Tender’s Guide or How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks,” this seasonal drink was not to be offered until after the first snowfall. For nearly a century it was a common sight to see a Tom & Jerry bowl in your local watering hole during the Holidays. Despite the close proximity to the Professor’s own name, some theorize this drink was named for the characters in Pierce Egan’s 1821 book, “Life in London” which chronicles the after-hours roving antics of “Jerry Hawthorn, Esq., and his elegant friend Corinthian Tom.” Their relentless pursuit of living the high life, frequently with the aid of an alcoholic beverage, gave birth to the slang, “Tom and Jerrying.” It is said that Egan took a recipe, considered a twist on the traditional Egg Nog, and named it the “Tom and Jerry” in order to publicize his book.
This wonderful but labor-intensive drink has all but disappeared from the drinking establishments of today – for many it has become a matter of having to follow the path of quantity over quality. For home bartenders, the key to success in making Tom & Jerry’s is to always use fresh batter. Each drink should be made and served while the batter is still light and fluffy. Although the “Professor’s” classic recipe calls for rum and brandy, the potential for spirit and liqueur pairings are infinite. For our traditional recipe we use a rich full-bodied rum Appleton VX from Jamaica, and Hennessey VS Cognac.
My cousin, Helen David, had made Tom and Jerry’s from scratch for nearly 70 years for the customers in her bar, the Brass Rail. Every year on Thanksgiving she would unpack her three commercial mixers and keeps them spinning until New Years Day. For the Holiday Season why not pay tribute to Helen, and the good “Professor” by featuring Tom & Jerry’s. If you want to pay homage to this great classic try whipping up a batch at your next Holiday soiree. I hope you’ll agree Helen’s recipe is delightful. Her version serves 12…or, “4 friends, 3 each!”
Helen’s Tom & Jerry Batter
- 8 jumbo eggs
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Hot water
Separate egg whites and yolks. In a large mixer, beat yolks until thin, transfer to another bowl. Clean mixer and add the egg whites and cream of tarter, beat until stiff. Add powdered sugar and fold in yolks. Mix until batter is thick, but light.
For each drink:
- ¾ ounce Appleton Jamaican Rum
- ¾ ounce Hennessey VS Cognac
In a pre-heated mug, add 1 heaping ladle of batter. Add rum and cognac. Top with hot water and dust with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve with a paddle or spoon.
Hint: At home I use a Kitchen-Aid 4.5 Quart Capacity Tilt-Head Mixer for making the batter.