Make-Ahead: Eggnog should be chilled at least 4 hours before serving, and served within 24 hours.

Indulge in one of the Yuletide's greatest pleasure, and make a batch of this heady, creamy, from-scratch eggnog. I can't imagine one of my Christmas parties without a big bowl of nog--and, according to the evidence, neither can my friends. One year, instead of entirely deleting it from the menu (because all of my friends were moaning about their expanding waistlines), I compromised with a half-batch, which disappeared quicker than an elephant at a magician's act in Las Vegas. Luckily, I had the ingredients handy to whip up more eggnog, and it evaporated, too. It's so easy to make, why buy the supermarket variety?

• To keep the eggnog cold, place a pint of vanilla ice cream in the punch bowl. It will slowly melt, and its flavor will compliment the eggnog. For a break with tradition, try chocolate ice cream.

• This eggnog contains raw eggs, which have been known to contain the bacteria salmonella. When serving this recipe, take these precautions. Purchase fresh eggs without any signs of cracks, and wash the eggs before using them. Do not serve eggnog to people with compromised immune systems. If you prefer, serve the New Wave Eggnog made with cooked eggs, a step that kills the salmonella bacteria.

6 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar (see Note)
1 cup dark rum
1 cup brandy
1/3 cup bourbon
1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
1 pint vanilla ice cream, for serving
Freshly grated nutmeg, for serving