This 100-year-old Upstate NY diner is serving a holiday cocktail you’ve probably never tried before

An iconic Upstate New York restaurant is celebrating its 100th birthday with an early return of its signature holiday cocktail that you may be pressed to find many places.

The Tom and Jerry, a frothy, warm cousin of eggnog, is a holiday tradition for many families in Northern New York and can be found at Watertown’s Crystal Restaurant. Normally served starting after Thanksgiving, the Crystal has brought it back a few weeks early this year to kick off its centennial celebrations.

Founded in 1925 by the Dephtereos family, the Crystal is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the area. The family philosophy is simple: everyone deserves a good meal at a fair price. Today, the restaurant serves classic American comfort food and was recently named one of the top five diners with cheap eats in Watertown by Stacker.

Inside, the restaurant is a step back in time. It’s home to one of the last stand-up bars in the country, complete with original black-and-white tile floors, tin ceilings, and a 1930s cash register that once rang up Franklin Roosevelt’s tab.

The Tom and Jerry is more than a drink at the Crystal, it’s a carefully preserved tradition for almost as long as the restaurant has been open. Dating to the early 1800s, the cocktail combines a fluffy egg batter and spices with rum and brandy.

At the Crystal, the secret recipe batter is whipped in the kitchen and poured into an antique dark blue punch bowl. It’s the same punch bowl the Dephtereos family first used more than 80 years ago that they got from the former Woodruff Hotel which was demolished in 1976.

Bartenders mix the batter with the warm spirits at the bar, then serve it in festive white mugs emblazoned with “Tom & Jerry.”

“When it (the punch bowl) comes out the bar, everybody cheers,” Libby Dephtereos is quoted in “A Taste of Upstate New York“ by Chuck D’Imperio. “It is nonstop and it is a madhouse in here. A fun madhouse.”