Why is the Tom and Jerry cocktail a Midwest holiday tradition?

Entering Miller’s Pub, it’s easy to see why it’s a holiday gathering spot. The restaurant is warmly lit with vintage stained glass fixtures, and dark woods combine with classic Christmas decor for a cozy ambiance.

Among those who gather is special education teacher Jason Munchoff, who has met his friends here for an annual holiday celebration since 2007. Essential to their festivities is drinking a Tom and Jerry.

“I'm really into traditions, especially around the holidays,” he said. “I really like doing things over and over again. It just gives that good feeling.”

A "T&J" is akin to a warm eggnog, but what really makes it stand out is its viscosity. That’s because at the base of any Tom and Jerry is a batter, similar to what you might use for pancakes. It’s made from sugar, eggs, autumnal spices and vanilla.

Standing behind the bar, next to a large silver bowl full of fluffy batter, is Miller’s Pub co-owner Andy Gallios.

To make a T&J, he scoops a small ladle of batter into a mug, adds rum and brandy, then fills it to the brim with warm water or milk.

Gallios isn’t sure exactly why Miller’s started making the Tom and Jerry, but he does know the bar has been serving it since the 1950s, when his father and uncle first purchased the bar and restaurant. “It’s the same recipe, same method, same guy in the basement making the batter,” Gallios said.

Munchoff has always wondered where this decadent drink came from and why it’s been such a mainstay in Chicago and the Midwest. It turns out the history of the T&J is really a story of how cocktails came to America.

The history

While Miller’s Pub is synonymous with the Tom and Jerry in Chicago, its popularity in the city and in neighboring Wisconsin goes as far back as the mid-19th century. Newspaper articles from the time feature recipes and interviews with hotel barkeeps. One even documented a raging debate about whether hot cocktails are good for one’s health. But the drink’s actual origins are a bit of a mystery, with numerous figures claiming the title of inventor.

One prominent contender is Jerry Thomas, considered by some to be the father of American mixology. His 1862 book "Bar Keepers Guide" played an important role in popularizing many mainstay cocktails in the U.S. The mixologist claimed to have invented the cocktail in 1847, according to historian David Wondrich.

Other experts question Thomas’ narrative, pointing to newspaper articles as far back as 1827 that discuss a near-identical beverage with a different name. Thomas was born in 1830.

And consider this: Egg- and sugar–based cocktails such as the egg posset, egg flip and rum flip — all possible T&J precursors — were already popular in the United Kingdom at least a decade before that.

Historian Anistasia Miller believes the famous French chef Alexis Benoît Soyer, who moved to London in 1830, could be the father of the T&J. He was known as a prolific cocktail inventor and is credited with making an ice cream Champagne drink for Queen Victoria, the first ever blue cocktail and even the Jell-O shot.

Her evidence: Young Jerry Thomas visited Soyer in London in a bid to work at a new restaurant Soyer was opening. Thomas did not get the job, but he likely brought back inspiration, introducing Americans to many British drinks and Soyer’s creations as his own.

“You wouldn’t even realize [these drinks] were British, except you’d have to read the type, which is a really tiny, like almost two millimeter tall type that says ‘after Soyer,’ ” Miller said.

But there’s another possible origin of the Tom and Jerry, or at least the drink’s moniker. In 1821, writer Pierce Egan published the novel "Life in London," a satire following the inebriated misadventures of two posh aristocrats, Tom and Jerry.

The stage play based on the novel became a hit on Broadway in New York City. Suddenly, the phrase “Tom and Jerry” was everywhere, as a shorthand for drunken mischief.

The names also became associated with illicit drinking houses, sometimes called Tom and Jerry shops, where patrons could find warm pick-me-ups on winter nights.

“The Tom and Jerry shops could have had egg flips and egg posits and rum posits and things like that,” Miller said. “People just ended up saying, ‘Oh, I'm going to go over to the Tom and Jerry shop and have a Tom and Jerry.’ ”

Topping off tradition

While the exact birthplace of the Tom and Jerry is likely lost to history, its tradition is alive and well. In fact, it’s seen a resurgence in the Midwest, along with interest in other traditional cocktails, like eggnog, old-fashioneds and martinis. Gallios says at the height of the season, Miller’s Pub goes through 12 gallons of Tom and Jerry batter a day.

While Miller’s offers a classic take, those looking for an elevated experience can visit The Duck Inn in Bridgeport or Sparrow in the Gold Coast.

Duck Inn owner Brandon Phillips grew up drinking virgin versions of the Tom and Jerry around the holidays. Although he still goes to Miller’s Pub each year, his restaurant offers a more sophisticated version: For one, he uses duck eggs for added richness and mixes tapioca power in the batter. He also brews a specially made milk tea, featuring hand-harvested spruce tree tips. Finally and most deliciously, Phillips sprinkles sugar over the foamy top and torches it for a creme brulee–like finish.

Phillips’ unique take on the historic drink doesn’t stand alone. On the other side of the city, you can get your drink in a collection of vintage Tom and Jerry mugs at Sparrow, a cocktail bar designed to feel like a 1920s expat bar in Havana. The batter there packs an additional punch with allspice. Owner Peter Vestinos imagines a barkeep serving up Tom and Jerry to homesick patrons.

For Phillips, a Tom and Jerry at Miller’s Pub offered a warm welcome when he first moved to Chicago from Wisconsin. He hopes he can do the same for his customers during the holidays. “It felt like such a piece of home to me,” he said, “to be able to go to Miller’s and have a Tom and Jerry."

For those interested in mixing the beverage for themselves, we’ve included a few classic recipe, as well as Phillips’ luxurious take, below.