USING EGGS IN COCKTAILS

EP4: Lazy Bartender By DrinksdirectNG

Foam-vs-ice

Egg Whites in Cocktails: Why use Them and How to do it Safely • A Bar Above

Bartenders have come up with a variety of techniques over the years to accomplish this delicate balancing act of foam-vs-ice, and all remain hotly debated. Some employ the “reverse dry shake,” in which egged ingredients are shaken with ice first then given an iceless dry shake after. Some dry shake but then swirl or stir the drink gently with ice, rather than shaking it a second time, to avoid overly diluting the foam with water, doesn’t work for me. Some even use handheld immersion blenders to power-froth a mixture, it creates too much foam in my opinion.

Whichever technique is employed, eggs can add a fun, interesting dimension to an otherwise basic cocktail like a whiskey sour or bramble for example. The most effective technique for me is the “dry shaken” using a Parisian shaker. With the right execution, time and ingredients chosen, the results are extraordinary aesthetically and tastefully.

REASONS TO USE EGGS IN COCKTAIL

Adding Eggs to drinks is a tradition that dates back more than a century. Besides novelty, the egg whites give your cocktail a rich creamy texture and a beautiful foamy cap with very little effect on the taste. Unpasteurized egg whites are basically odourless and tasteless, so their contribution is entirely textural.

Just like a mousse or meringue, drinks that call for egg white also include citrus juice and some sugar syrup along with the liquor and egg. Agitating this mixture creates luxurious foam.

MIXING EGGS INTO COCKTAILS

Separate the egg safely from its shell and avoid using the shell. Then, add all the ingredients (including the egg) in a cocktail shaker and shaken without ice (Dry shake technique). This process allows the egg protein to begin to unravel and form foam without being diluted with melting ice. Ice is then added to the shaker to more violently agitate the mixture. this second phase cools the liquid and strengthens the foam. When strained the cocktail will have a velvety and beautiful frothy, longer cap.

Now that we’ve established the theory of using egg whites in cocktails, its time to practice, by making a SLOE GIN FIZZ

SLOE GIN FIZZ RECIPE

60ml sloe Gin
20ml Lemon juice
15ml simple syrup
1 Egg white
Top up with soda water

DIRECTION

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
Shake vigorously without ice for 7 – 10 seconds.
Add ice and shake until cool through, about 12-15 seconds.
Strain into a collins glass over ice and carefully top with a splash of soda water. (To avoid spillage, add soda water slowly). The carbonation will add a lot of volume to the egg foam. Enjoy

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