@pixouls there are a bunch of different kinds of eggnog, so vibe and how you get it can v much depend!

Personally I’m a fan of coquito, which is coconut milk based, very rich and creamy (and also usually has a *lot* more rum than you’d necessarily realize from the taste, drinker be warned!) which you might find at a spanish grocery but is also p simple to make yourself — its uncooked so you just whisk everything together and then let it chill overnight (you can find versions with or without egg, if raw egg is a concern for you — i think most modern recipes dont use it anymore?)

i’ve only had old school homemade eggnog once, i think, with the beaten egg whites. It’s much fluffier than a lot of other types of egg nog and works best in smaller wider glasses, where you can enjoy the texture instead of half of your drink getting trapped at the bottom of the glass

i’ve made and served flip cocktails a few times — the primary distinction from eggnog being the typical lack of cream/dairy in flips, and the fact that they’re less seasonally associated. They’re very old school, but fun and can be modified to be low ABV if desired which is always a bonus in my book

i’d argue that the recent trend for boozy milkshakes is very much in line with the egg nog tradition — the ingredients in most egg nogs not being too far off from those of an ice cream base. Not my favorite drink tbh, but lots of people like them for good reason!

grocery store egg nog differs from its older homemade counterparts in that: it is almost always fully cooked (older recipes often left the eggs entirely raw or just cooked the yolks while whipping the raw whites) and it often uses other thickeners to cut down on the number of eggs. Often as a mixer (which is to say, not containing any booze, but with a design expectation that you’ll be adding some upon serving) but can be drunk without, though in that case it will be especially heavy and sweet

very possibly what you had at starbucks was an egg nog latte (with or without the espresso)? in which case no eggs, just the spices traditionally used in egg nog (nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla). Still a very good holiday treat, and probably much more accessible to the average person than a lot of the drinks i’ve mentioned here 😆