How to: Egg White Cocktails & Mocktails

Ever wondered what the beautiful frothy layer of foam on top of your cocktail or mocktail was? Spoiler alert: It’s raw egg.

While the idea of drinking an egg white cocktail might not sound super appealing, it’s actually common practice behind the bar and does not, in fact, make your cocktail taste like breakfast.

Egg whites are used in cocktails to soften the edges of a drink, making it less sharp and tart. It also gives us the fluffy layer of foam found on top of things like Pisco Sours.  As a home bartender, it might feel a bit intimidating to start experimenting with egg white cocktails— but we got you! We’re here to give you the run-down and confidence to give it a go.

Say Hello to the Dry Shake

Since we’re big fans of our fresh-pressed cocktail mixers, our how-to will include one of our favorites: the Primrose Proper. Made with fresh citrus, ginger, rose hip, and hibiscus, its complimented nicely by the softness the egg white brings to the table and is the MOST beautiful color. (Presenting pretty cocktails is half the challenge here!)

The most important piece to the puzzle when making egg white cocktails is the dry shake. This allows the liquid in your shaker to emulsify—the key step—before adding ice into the shaker to actually chill the liquid.

1. Add 2-3oz of Primrose Proper cocktail mixer to your shaker (no ice!)
2. Add 1.5oz vodka to shaker (for mocktail substitute water or your favorite n/a spirit)
3. Add 1 egg white to shaker
4. Time for a workout. Shake pretty aggressively for 15-20 seconds. Take a peek in the shaker, looking frothy? Move on to the next step. Not frothy? Shake harder!
5. Add a scoop of ice to shaker
6. Shake again! This time the goal is to chill the liquid.
7. Strain into glass of choice. Pro tip: Using a hawthorne strainer, you’ll want to let the liquid flow into the glass while holding back the ice and foam. Once most of the liquid is in your glass, lift the strainer enough to let the foam through, but not the ice.
8. Enjoy!

A Few Pro Tips

• Experiment with how much egg white you’re using. Maybe you use one egg white between two cocktails or mocktails— there isn’t a wrong answer. Personal preference is King Queen.

• Since raw egg is not recommended for elderly, people with compromised immune systems, or those who are pregnant (or just because it has slightly less ew-factor), you can purchase different types of egg whites. You can find pasteurized egg whites at the grocery store, or even shelf-stable powdered egg whites.

• Hard pass on eggs altogether? The option for a vegan version exists in aquafaba, the liquid you find in a can of garbanzo beans. SO strange, we know, but it does work. The flavor is unique, so experiment with volume to get the perfect balance between texture/foam and garbanzo bean flavor. We suggest starting with one tablespoon and working up from there. You can always add more, but once you add it to the shaker you’re generally stuck with it.

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