Editor's note: The Southern Foodways Alliance delves deep in the history, tradition, heroes and plain old deliciousness of Southern food. Today's contributor, Lindsey Kate Reynolds, is a native Texan beginning her M.A. in Southern Studies. She blogs about cocktails at TheGoodetimeGals.com and Tweets @LindseyKateR.

Nog, flip, fizz, grog, shrub, smash.

Besides being vaguely onomatopoeic terms, these are all old-school drinks that used to be quite common in bars more than one hundred years ago. Fallen out of fashion due to the vodka craze of the Cold War cocktail days, today’s spirits renaissance is bringing them back to life with a vengeance.

Though you might not always want to use a dozen eggs and shake drinks for a combined thirty minutes when entertaining, sometimes a special occasion calls for a more luxurious cocktail. Enter the flip.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “flip” was first used in 1695 to describe a potent mixture of beer, rum and sugar...heated up with a warm iron. (I have absolutely no idea how this would work but it sounds messy and slightly dangerous.) The scalding iron caused the drink to froth and flip, and thus the “flip” was born. It’s also been said the name “flip” came from the pouring back and forth of your eggy alcoholic beverage into two containers to mix it well. Thank goodness for shakers today.

Regardless of the etymology, today a flip usually means a concoction of spirit, egg, sugar, spice, and the optional presence of cream. I can’t imagine cream ever being a non-option, but there you have it.

When I was challenged to come up with a cocktail recipe inspired by the upcoming Women at Work symposium, I knew I wanted something feminine and strong with a twist.

My muse for The Buttermilk Broad came from my favorite dessert, buttermilk pie. Though deceivingly simple, a well-executed buttermilk pie is not easy to come by. The addition of cinnamon and nutmeg add an autumnal element, and the whole egg makes it decadently silky and frothy.

I hope it’s an appropriate homage to all Southern women, but I’d suggest no more than two or you might find yourself dancing on tables. You’ll find the recipe below:

The Buttermilk Broad
Makes one drink

1 whole egg
1 ounce buttermilk
1 ounce sorghum simple syrup (equal parts water and sorghum brought to a boil then cooled)
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Shake together yolk only with several ice cubes for thirty seconds. Add rest of ingredients. Shake vigorously for two minutes. Strain into small coupe glass. Garnish with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Read more at the Southern Foodways Alliance's blog

Previously:
5@5 – Low-alcohol bottles for your summer bar
Meet for a julep at gin o'clock