I first heard about advocaat while watching a classic horror movie. (It's actually the answer to a question in one of my horror movie trivia quizzes, so I'll include it below, with an asterisk, in case anyone doesn't want it ruined.) Meanwhile, a couple of months ago, I happened upon a bottle of it randomly. Clearly I had to try it. It was a product of Poland, and was made by Bak's.
If you're like me, when you read "egg liqueur," you probably thought of eggnog, the Christmas treat, available as a non-alcoholic beverage, or as an alcoholic one, usually from the addition of rum. And, from what I understand, the two drinks are very similar. But we're getting ahead of ourselves--let's look at the history of advocaat. Which is difficult, as the drink's origins are shrouded in mystery. Some believe it's based on, of all things, an avocado-based liquor created by Brazilians. Supposedly, when the Dutch started exploring and colonizing places in South America, they encountered the drink, and liked it. However, they weren't able to make it back in Europe, as avocado plants didn't travel well, or flourish in the Dutch homeland's cooler climate. Therefore, the Dutch substituted egg yolks for the avocados, and made a new version, but kept the Dutch approximation of the name, rendered "advocaat." As support for this, the Dutch certainly were in Brazil in the 17th century, and certainly encountered avocados by the 1650's or so, and by the 1620's rum was being distilled in Brazil. However, there's more. Advocaat is also the Dutch word for "lawyer." Another theory is that the egg-based drink was one that lawyers served while enjoying small social gatherings. Since it became associated with these gatherings, the drink was then named after lawyers. More definitively, a Dutch man, Johannes Gerardus Cooymans started making advocaat in the 1820's, and the distillery he founded in 1828 is still in business. But whether Cooymans made a version of a pre-existing Dutch drink, or invented it on his own, is unknown. Anyway, modern advocaat is usually made using egg yolks, sugar, and brandy. Other common additives include other aromatic spirits, honey, vanilla, cream, and condensed milk. Verpoorten, DeKuyper, Darna Ovo Liker, and Bols (see my post on a pumpkin-flavored liquor on October 23, 2021 for more information on this distillery) are some of the most popular Dutch makers of advocaat. But, plenty of other countries make boozes flavored with eggs. The Mexican kind is called rompope, the Colombian version is sabajon, the Puerto Rican one coquito, the German kind eirepunsch, and the Polish variant ajerkoniak, to name just a few examples. Additionally, "pure" advocaat is also enjoyed in Belgium, Germany, and Austria, among other places. It's sometimes consumed as an aperitif, a digestif, or as a topping for desserts, being poured onto waffles, pancakes, pastries, and ice cream. Some people even make it a dessert itself, by adding whipped cream and powdered cocoa to a glass of it. Strength-wise it tends to be 14-20% alcohol, or 28-40 proof.
As for the manufacturer of the advocaat I tried, I could find next to nothing. Bak's also makes vodka, neutral grain spirits, cherry cordials, a honey liqueur, and plum and blackberry-flavored brandies. But that's about it--I'm not even sure if Bak's is a brand of a larger distillery, or the name of the distillery itself. Similarly, the American importer of my drink, Adamba Imports International, Inc., out of Brooklyn, NY, is also mostly a blank. All I know is that Adamba evidently specializes in importing Polish goods, markets over 1000 products, and started in 1978. Also, I couldn't discover if the advocaat I tried was the "real" kind, or if it was the Polish ajerkoniak version. The ingredients on my bottle were egg yolks, vanilla, and a "fine spirit," which could refer to vodka, or brandy. Since Bak's definitely makes both of these liquors, it could be either. As usual, I'll try to be a completist and try a Dutch brand of advocaat when I can, and compare and contrast it. Finally, I'm intrigued by the idea of making booze out of avocados--I'd happily sample this, if it's still made anywhere. Finally finally, I wonder if any Dutch lawyers were pissed that the other drinks they commonly enjoyed at social gatherings were ignored, in favor of the egg-based "advocaat" as we know it today. I kind of want to think so, for schadenfreude reasons.
Bak's advocaat (egg liqueur). The color was just what I thought it would be--yellow, like most egg-based products. I couldn't pick up on an odor to speak of. I followed the directions and chilled it in my fridge before drinking it. As usual, with my lack of a stocked bar and mixers, I just had mine straight, as a shot. The texture was quite thick for a beverage, rather like a milkshake. The taste was basically like eggnog. Sorry to be so predictable, but that's what it seemed like to me. Since I'm a fan of eggnog, I liked this one too. The alcohol burn was pretty intense, though--I tasted the egg-y flavor, and then the booze really kicked in at the end. (Also, this Bak's one was a bit more potent than most advocaats, being 24% alcohol, or 48 proof.) Overall then, I would recommend this to anyone who likes the adult, alcohol-infused version of eggnog. Maybe buy it and eggnog and see which one you prefer. I will say it's very rich, not surprisingly--too much in one night is probably a bad idea, or having it every day isn't wise, especially if your cholesterol is too high. But as an occasional, change-of-pace liquor I think this is a fine choice.
*(SPOILERS AHEAD) It was mentioned in "The Shining" (1980).
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