Notes

Advocaat is a thick, custard-like Dutch liqueur made from egg yolks, sugar and brandy, its rich consistency setting it apart from drinks taken neat from a glass and calling for a spoon instead. The name's origin is debated: one theory traces it to abacate, a Brazilian avocado drink that Dutch colonists adapted using egg yolks once avocados were unavailable at home, retaining the name despite the change in ingredients, while another derives it from the Dutch word for lawyer, with the idea that it served as a smooth lubricant for the throat before a court appearance. Commercial production began in 1828, when J.G. Cooymans established a distillery in 's-Hertogenbosch, and the drink remains strongly associated with Christmas in the Netherlands to this day. Advocaat spoons, small enough to scoop the thick liqueur from its glass, developed alongside the drink from around 1800.