Ah, the beloved Tom and Jerry. 

Jerry Thomas (1830-1885), the founding father of modern bartending, aka “The Professor,” according to Difford’s Guide, claimed that he first concocted the drink in 1847, and named it after himself and his two pet white mice, Tom and Jerry. But hold on, not so fast, a similar nog-like drink has been documented as being imbibed in the U.S. since the 1820s. The Professor, who is pictured courtesy of the British Library, was probably embellishing just a tad when he made the claim.

Mr. Wikipedia offers this explanation: “The drink’s name is a reference to (British author) Pierce Egan‘s book, ‘Life in London, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom’ (1821), and the subsequent stage play ‘Tom and Jerry, or Life in London’ (also 1821). To publicize the book and the play, Egan introduced a variation of eggnog … calling it a ‘Tom and Jerry.’ The additional fortification helped popularize the drink.” Some would dispute that claim.

Regardless of the drink’s origin, you can find Jerry Thomas’ original recipe in his 1862 book “How to Mix Drinks, or The Bon Vivant’s Companion” at bit.ly/jerrythomas. Enjoy!