Buffalonians can’t claim to be the first to drink Tom and Jerrys, which are believed to date back 200 years, but we can certainly throw our hats in the ring for being the seasonal beverage’s No. 1 fan.
The Tom and Jerry – usually a mixture of hot rum, brandy and water topped with a sweet, gooey egg batter and served in a mug – is a December fixture at more than a dozen local bars and restaurants. Some restaurants, such as The Place and Schwabl’s, have been making the cocktail since the 1940s.
For Ellie Grenauer, co-owner of Williamsville’s Glen Park Tavern, Tom and Jerry season has become her “favorite time of year.”
“It’s like a religion at our place,” Grenauer said.
Glen Park Tavern has been making Tom and Jerrys for the last 23 years, just one less year than it’s been in business, and sells thousands of them during an average season.
People are also reading…
Grenauer has been lobbying for the creation of an official Tom and Jerry trail, similar to the Buffalo Wing Trail, since she often serves groups of people who are bar hopping between various restaurants to compare Tom and Jerrys.
“It’s kind of fun because The Place, McPartlan’s and us do a more traditional batter. Creekview has a really nice Tom and Jerry but it has a gourmet twist to it. That’s what’s fun,” she said. “All the batters are basically the same with a twist. Everyone likes to add their own little thing.”
At the Garage Bar and Restaurant on Hertel Avenue, owner Lisa Riniolo not only serves the drink, she’s a big fan, too. “I love the Tom and Jerry,” she said. “And everyone gets such a kick seeing the bowl sitting on the bar. They see the warm and gooey batter and ask what it is. It’s fun to watch people experience it for the first time.”
Riniolo serves the drink deep into January at the Garage and will offer it into February if there is customer demand.
So, what’s the appeal?
For one, a Tom and Jerry is a hot, alcoholic beverage served in a mug topped with sweet, spiced batter, so it’s usually welcome on a cold December day. There’s also an exclusivity factor, since it’s only guaranteed to be on many menus in the space between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Grenauer believes the chilly Buffalo weather has contributed to the drink’s lasting popularity locally.
“It’s a very warm and comforting drink,” Grenauer said.
Riniolo at the Garage agrees. “It’s so warming, especially here in Buffalo. Sometimes you get chilled to the bone. It has the smells and taste of warm spices and, as you drink it, relaxes you.”
Here’s more about the Tom and Jerry.
How do you make a Tom and Jerry?
It’s all about the batter.
A batch of batter takes about a half hour to make, Grenauer said, and involves separating and beating eggs to form a meringue, then slowly adding superfine sugar and spices, usually nutmeg and cloves.
A scoop of batter is then added to a mug of hot rum and brandy, topped off with some hot water and garnished with nutmeg.
However, plenty of restaurants tweak the recipe. Waxlight bar à Vin, for example, grinds a spice mixture of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and star anise to create a very fine powder, then adds the spices to a pan with raw and white sugar, butter, ginger honey, vanilla, orange peels and angostura bitters for the batter’s sugar component, according to partner and sommelier Tony Rials.
Rials then follows a more standard recipe of whipping egg whites and tartar, then combining the yolks, sugar and dark rum, folding it all together, and adding it to a cup of dark rum, cognac, oloroso sherry and hot water or milk.
“This recipe requires several more steps, but personally, I love the richness and depth of the flavor,” Rials said.
What’s this about keeping the mug?
Several restaurants, including The Place and Glen Park Tavern, offer commemorative Tom and Jerry mugs to take home once you finish your drink (usually they give you a fresh, non-batter covered one) either included in the drink’s price or for an extra fee. Grenauer makes her restaurant’s mugs using heat transfer paper and a press. At the Garage on Hertel, a Tom and Jerry is $8; $11 if you want to keep the mug.
Can I make the drink at home?
There are plenty of recipes to follow online, or you could receive some help from the pros. Glen Park Tavern, Creekview Restaurant and Waxlight bar à Vin sell all of the drink’s ingredients, including premade batter, in to-go kits.
Where to get a Tom and Jerry
Most of the following restaurants have already begun serving Tom and Jerrys, and serve them through at least the end of December. Some will continue serving them as long as there is customer demand even into February.
Coles, 1104 Elmwood Ave. (716-886-1449, coles-buffalo.com)
Creekview Restaurant, 5629 Main St., Williamsville (716-632-9373, creekviewrestaurant.com)
The Delaware Pub and Grill, 3410 Delaware Ave., Kenmore (716-874-0100, delawarepubandgrill.com)
The Garage Bar and Restaurant, 1127 Hertel Ave. (716-436-2141, garagebarrestaurant.com)
Glen Park Tavern, 5507 Main St., Williamsville (716-626-9333, glenparktavern.com)
Graylynn, 537 Main St. (716-370-0029, graylynnginbar.com)
Hoak’s Lakeshore Restaurant, 4100 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg (716-627-4570, hoaksrestaurant.com)
McPartlan’s Corner, 669 Wehrle Drive (716-632-9896)
Mès Que, 1420 Hertel Ave. (716-836-8800, mesque.com)
North Star Tavern, 7340 Seneca St., East Aurora (716-805-7117, thenorthstartavern.com)
O’Brien’s West End Inn, 340 Union St., Hamburg (716-202-4018, obrienswestendinn.com)
The Place, 229 Lexington Ave. (716-882-7522, theplacebuffalo.com)
Remedy House, 429 Rhode Island St. (716-250-7724, remedyhouse.co)
Rohall’s Corner, 540 Amherst St. (716-939-2087)
Schwabl’s, 789 Center Road, West Seneca (716-675-2333, schwabls.com)
Waxlight Bar à Vin, 27 Chandler St., waxlightbaravin.com. Served the week before Christmas, Dec. 20 through 23 and offers to-go quarts of Tom and Jerrys for $35. Pre-order for to-go quarts begins Dec. 20 for pickup Dec. 23.