Tom and Jerry , the soul-soothing winter warmer combining brandy, rum, and an egg batter with hot water or milk, dates back to long before Tom and Jerry were even cat and mouse. It came into being sometime in the early 1800s and is often said to have been created by the author Pierce Egan in an attempt to promote his 1821 book Life in London (whose main characters were Jerry Hawthorn and “Corinthian Tom”), as well as the play based on it, Tom and Jerry, or Life in London. Unfortunately, there is no evidence for this theory, or for the drink actually being served in England during the 1820s (the closest thing was the “Tom and Jerry shop,” a small, informal alehouse, “Tom and Jerry” being a slang term for ale that predates Egan’s book by at least a generation).
The drink was also (and most famously) attributed to Jerry Thomas, which sounds plausible given the similarity between the names of the drink and the celebrated barman, as well as the fact that in his 1862 Bar-Tender’s Guide he stated that the drink is also sometimes called “Jerry Thomas.” Mr. Thomas even made claim to having created the drink, saying that he first concocted it in 1847. See Thomas, Jeremiah P. “Jerry”.
In fact the earliest known printed reference to the Tom and Jerry, as a drink made of “saleratus [baking soda], eggs, sugar, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and rum,” is an 1827 reference from the Salem (MA) Gazette; “Professor” Thomas was not born until 1830. Yet while Jerry Thomas might not have created the Tom and Jerry, we can wholeheartedly give him more credit than any other man for popularizing it. And for this, we will be forever grateful.
From the mid-nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth, Tom and Jerry was a cold-weather staple in American bars. The characteristic small, porcelain “shaving mugs” in which it was served came out every November, along with the bowl to hold the batter, and got put away again every March. By the 1950s, however, it had become a regional specialty, popular in the Great Lakes region not as a wintertime bar drink but as something served at home during the year-end holidays. With the cocktail revival of the twenty-first century, it has slowly regained some of its lost territory, although its spread is hampered by its complexity and its highly caloric nature.
In general, Tom and Jerry is made by separating eggs and whipping the whites on their own and the yolks with sugar, spices, and a little rum. These are then folded together into a batter, of which a spoonful is put into a mug along with a mix of brandy and rum and then topped off with boiling water or milk. Some versions of the drink omit the rum from the batter, others use brandy instead. Using rum in the batter and only brandy in the drink is perhaps slightly more authentic from a historical perspective (Thomas gives it as the default but mentions the brandy and rum version as well) but also provides both a gentle and distinct character. Many of the early recipes call for boiling water instead of hot milk to mix the batter in. However, the use of milk provides more body and a delightful texture to the drink, which should be seen as an improvement.
Recipe: Separate the yolks and whites of 12 eggs, beat egg whites to a stiff froth and the yolks until they are well blended. Mix together the yolks and whites and then add 900 g sugar, 30 ml rich Jamaican rum, 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground allspice, ½ grated nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground cloves. Stir the mixture well until it is well blended and takes on the consistence of a light batter. Refrigerate immediately until needed and use within four to six hours. For each drink: Using a small, pre-heated coffee mug, combine 30 ml of the above mixture and 30 ml of cognac, and then fill the mug with up to 90 ml of hot milk (or water). Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
“At the Police Court in Boston.” Salem (MA) Gazette, March 20, 1827, 2.
Thomas, Jerry. How to Mix Drinks. New York: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1862.
Wondrich, David. Imbibe!, 2nd ed. New York: Penguin, 2015.
By: Audrey Saunders