Here’s where you can find farm-fresh eggnog in Connecticut

As homes twinkle with lights and wrapped presents start appearing under Christmas trees, a favorite holiday indulgence returns to store shelves and dairy cases.

Yes, it’s eggnog season, and whether you enjoy the festive beverage right from the bottle, spiked with liquor or as a recipe enhancer, you can find farm-fresh eggnog from a variety of Connecticut producers.

Smyth’s Trinity Farm

The seasonal product can’t come quickly enough for customers at Smyth’s Trinity Farm, says Sam Smyth, who estimates his family’s Enfield dairy has been making eggnog for about 20 years.

“Every year, it seems to be earlier and earlier that people are asking for it,” Smyth says. “It’ll be 80 degrees in September and people are saying, ‘When are you going to make the eggnog?’”

The farm starts selling its eggnog ($8 for a quart, $15 for a half gallon) in mid-October and produces it through the new year, Smyth says, and Smyth’s dairy products are available for home delivery in Enfield and nearby towns like Ellington, Somers, Suffield, Windsor Locks, and Longmeadow, Mass. Eggnog is also available for sale at its Enfield farm store at 4 Oliver Road, and Smyth’s products are sold through various local markets, such as at the Old Wethersfield Country Store. smythstrinityfarm.com.

Arethusa Farm Dairy

An annual commemorative glass quart bottle marks each eggnog season at Arethusa Farm Dairy in Bantam. Every year, Arethusa chooses a different calf from its herd to be the featured model, and 2018’s calf is Gratitude, “a little miracle of a girl just born at Arethusa Farm in mid-October.”

Arethusa began producing eggnog in 2010 and expects to go through 20,000 bottles of the limited product this year, says production manager Chris Casiello.

“It’s super rich, we cook it at just the right temperature. All the ingredients are really fresh, the spices are the best things we can find; we’ve tried a ton of different cinnamons to get the right flavor profile there. We’ve refined it where we’ve gotten it pretty dialed in.”

Their eggnog ($10) is available at its two retail shops in Bantam and New Haven, and at various markets in western and central Connecticut, such as Whole Foods in West Hartford and Glastonbury. arethusafarm.com/eggnog.

Fish Family Farms

Fish Family Farms’ milk products are a mainstay at Vintage in Colchester, where the daily menu is driven by local farms’ product availability. Chef-owner Tim Marotto has been using the Bolton farm’s eggnog in a bread pudding, made with Higganum’s Redneck Donuts.

“I use it as a sauce base; basically, it’s thick enough to take the place of a crème anglaise, almost,” he says. “It’s got that familiarity right away, of the consistency of that and the flavor of the eggnog.”

Marotto also recently experimented with a cream soda-type beverage, using a few ounces of the rich eggnog in Hosmer Mountain’s root beer.

Fish Family Farm’s eggnog is available at its farm store at 20 Dimock Lane, Bolton, for $9.75 per half gallon ($7.75 plus $2 deposit for the bottle.) facebook.com/fishfamilyfarmcreamery.

Elsewhere

Mountain Dairy, Storrs: Available in a variety of local markets, grocery stores and other retail outlets. mountaindairy.com.

Farmers’ Cow: The group of six Connecticut family dairy farms produces a limited-edition eggnog, available in stores statewide. thefarmerscow.com.

Elm Farm: The farm sells its eggnog in its Farm to Table Market at 324 Woodstock Road, Woodstock. facebook.com/elmfarmllc.

Woodstock Creamery at Valleyside Farm: The creamery sells its eggnog in half-gallon and 16-ounce sizes in its farm store at 210 Child Hill Road, Woodstock.facebook.com/WoodstockCreameryatValleysideFarm.

On the menu

You’ll find eggnog treats at these Connecticut restaurants, bars, cafes and bakeries:

Arethusa’s eggnog naturally turns up in seasonal sweets at its Bantam cafe, Arethusa a mano, and its restaurant, Arethusa al tavolo. These include eggnog cappuccino, eggnog macarons and doughnuts filled with eggnog whipped ganache, said pastry chef James Arena, with more related treats debuting throughout the month. He also uses eggnog to sauce a dessert of oeufs a la neige at the restaurant.

At The Cook and the Bear in West Hartford, bar manager Aaron Stepka is using Arethusa’s eggnog for a cocktail promoting TheatreWorks’ “Christmas on the Rocks” production, running through Dec. 23. The Charlie Brown-inspired drink, “Good Grief,” also features roasted peanut-infused Old Grand-Dad bourbon, creme de banane, creme de cacao and honey.

At Sift Bake Shop in Mystic — home of Adam Young, Food Network’s “Best Baker in America” — the bakery is producing eggnog macarons, a seasonal latte with Farmers’ Cow eggnog and a special eggnog parfait with chestnut financier and almond praline.

At Bar Piña in Hartford’s Goodwin Hotel, they’re whipping up their own version of “holiday nog,” says bar director Tim Cabral, with a recipe featuring Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, Barbadillio PX Sherry, Vergnano Maraschino, almond milk, cream, brown sugar, eggs and grated nutmeg.

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