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Many of us have watched Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa down a bunch of raw eggs and wince. Throwing a raw egg in a drink isn't just for boxers building up muscle mass, however. The wonderful egg serves as a valuable ingredient in mixing up many mixed drinks.

Recipes for a caudle go back to at least the 1300s. This warm, spiced drink included wine or ale, and an egg yolk helped thicken it up. Le Viandier de Taillevent (c. 1375) lists a Flemish caudle with water, white wine, egg yolks, salt and optional verjuice.

Possets marked many special occasions as celebratory drinks. One of the more popular party recipes as printed in the New York Gazette (1744) listed 1/2 pound of sugar, a quart of milk, a pint of sack (sherry) wine, 20 eggs and nutmeg.