AE Dairy Churns Out A Holiday Favorite: Classic Egg Nog Is Heading To Stores Now

DES MOINES, IA -- Iowa's favorite holiday gift in the quart-sized deep gold package has made its seasonal return: Anderson Erickson Dairy's Classic Egg Nog is back in production.

Kim Peter, director of marketing for AE, said loyal fans have been emailing the east Des Moines dairy for about a month asking when the treat will be available. Some have referred to it as "liquid gold" and "sweet golden awesomeness."

"It's a much-loved product," she told Patch Friday. "It's one of those nostalgic treats people associate with happy times and family memories. We've told them the wait is almost over; we just started making egg nog this week."

(For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Des Moines Patch, or click here to find your local Iowa Patch. Also, find us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

AE's egg nog, as its many fans know, is a family recipe with a unique thick and creamy taste. It is produced with milk and cream that are "hours fresh from Iowa family farms," Peter told Patch. "We use fully pasteurized cream, a sprinkle of real nutmeg and gourmet-quality vanilla."

"We tell people you haven't tried egg nog until you've tried AE egg nog," she said.

Hy-Vee in Pleasant Hill claimed to be the first store in the Des Moines metro area to stock the coveted treat when it posted photos on its Facebook page Thursday showing the dairy case being filled with the quart-sized cartons.

And the photos also show something so new that Peter told Patch there aren't even company photos available yet: a new AE Low Sugar Egg Nog in quart-sized red cartons.

"We had light egg nog for many years," she said. "The new lower sugar is more on trend with what consumers want. And in the bright red carton, they will be able to spot that."

The lower-sugar product has 25 percent less sugar than the regular egg nog and a little less fat, Peter said.

AE products are available throughout Iowa and parts of adjacent states, extending as far as the metro Kansas City area -- on both sides of the Missouri River, Peter said. But not every store carries all products the dairy makes.

So when will egg nog hit local stores?

"It kind of depends on the store when it makes it on the shelves," Peter said. "I'd say some places will have it this weekend."

Other AE seasonal products, the After Dinner Mint and Dark Chocolate milks, rolled into stores in September, along with a new Hazelnut Chocolate milk. All are available in plastic quart bottles, while milk nog is sold in half-gallon sizes. AE also debuted an egg nog yogurt last year and that returns this season, along with pumpkin cheesecake yogurt. Both will be available through the holiday season.

Peter couldn't say how much egg nog the 87-year-old family dairy sells each year, but estimated "there's probably enough for every Iowan to enjoy at least a carton for themselves."

"We tell people to buy one and freeze one," she added, noting it is good to use when making French toast or adding to coffee or chai tea. She said egg nog can be frozen for up to a year in its original carton, then simply "thaw it for 24 hours and give it a good shake." Once thawed, it should be consumed within a few days.

The dairy even has recipes online, including family recipes and some created just for AE, like the Egg Nog Upside Down French Toast.

"We have some other seasonal products," Peter said, "but certainly egg nog is a fun time of year. We love it."

AE Classic Egg Nog rolls off the production line early Thursday morning./Photo courtesy of Tommy Little