Egg shortage won't stop Turkey Hill egg nog

Imagine Halloween without candy, Thanksgiving without turkey, or Christmas without egg nog.

That frightful scenario - the egg nog part, at least - was almost a reality at Turkey Hill Dairy after a national egg shortage in June, but fans of the yuletide beverage will, indeed, be sipping egg nog by the fireplace this holiday season, thanks to some quick thinking and teamwork.

While some egg nog manufacturers may be forced to scale back production of the classic holiday beverage - or not make it at all - Turkey Hill has experienced a truly happy ending.

"It started in June, when the company that supplies our egg nog mixture told us that they didn't have enough eggs for this year," explained Turkey Hill's Product Development and Procurement Manager Derek Frey. "We got nervous, but we didn't give up."

After a lengthy search for eggs came up empty, Frey and his team finally found a large supply of in-shell eggs that they could buy. Turkey Hill was then able to turn the supply into an egg nog mixture - a combination of egg yolks, sugar, nutmeg and other spices - but the challenge was far from over.

Using a different recipe meant many hours of trial and error to ensure that the 2015 egg nog had the same flavor and consistency as in past years. Turkey Hill's team of flavor experts found the perfect recipe that duplicated their original egg nog, which remains the top-selling brand throughout many markets.

"The entire process was the result of what can happen when a team comes together to solve a problem," explained Frey. "We essentially re-created the recipe from scratch and turned what could have been an unfortunate side effect of a national egg shortage into an example of how to work together to accomplish great things."

Turkey Hill Dairy Egg Nog is the top-selling brand of egg nog throughout much of the northeast United States. The company's Limited Edition Premium Egg Nog Ice Cream - made with egg yolks - is also unaffected by the egg shortage. Both are available at select grocers and convenience stores where Turkey Hill products are sold.