When Eli Francovich left Petrovac, Yugoslavia, in the 1800s to
search for gold riches in the American West, little did he know his descendants
would seek their gold in richness of another sort— eggnog.
For five generations, the Francoviches have gathered in their
kitchens around the holidays to make homemade spiked eggnog from the recipe
Eli brought with him when he emigrated from Yugoslavia. They'd make the blend
of milk, cream, eggs, spices, rum and bourbon in seven-gallon batches, carefully
following the time-cherished formula. Now, they're hoping to create a niche
in the nog season by taking "Francovich Holiday Nog" to larger production.
"We're hoping to have a little success and take baby steps,"
said Deborah Francovich Stoker, who with her brothers, Sam and Jeff Francovich,
their mother Lillian, and their spouses and children, are taking their holiday
nog tradition to new levels.
It all started with Eli. As one of Reno, Nevada's earliest settlers,
he came to the frontier town in 1859 and built "The Wine House," a
bar and restaurant on Commercial Row that became a favorite gathering place.
During the Christmas season, he would share his creamy concoction with friends
and guests. Each generation hence has bottled the homemade brew to a limited
extent, giving it away as yuletide gifts.
Three years ago, the three Francovich siblings and their families
decided to test the public market and arranged to sell their beverage in three
Reno area grocery stores. They sold about one hundred cases. "That was
enough incentive to move to larger production last year," said Vickie Francovich,
Jeff's wife and general manager of the family owned business.
In 2000, they rented space in a commercial kitchen and made the
holiday nog in a one-hundred-gallon vat, using a rudimentary machine to fill
five one-quart bottles at a time. Sales jumped tenfold, to one thousand cases.
This year, with an investment of about $250,000, they hired a distributor, rented
a plant and purchased bigger, more efficient equipment.
The recipe remains a family secret, and Jeff Francovich has the
responsibility of ensuring that the dairy products, spices and liquors used
are of the highest quality, ensuring the unique blend is consistent with what
has been made in past generations. He insists that the eggnog remain free of
any artificial colorings or preservatives.
Holiday Nog is available in about one hundred stores across Nevada,
retailing for about $12 a bottle. The family hopes to expand into northern California
next year, and possibly the Pacific Northwest after that. The Francovich family
even has a Web page about their product at www.holidaynog.com.
A small picture of Eli Francovich is also on the Web site.
Dick Eastman Online
