Raw egg whites. They're not just for your breakfast glass of Tiger's Milk anymore. With the recent revival of certain pre-Prohibition cocktails, they've been finding their way back into some spectacularly elegant drinks.
Although this trend is a long way from taking hold at your local beer joint (for the same reason you probably shouldn't order sushi at a greasy spoon), over the last year or so, it's been making a noticeable splash at upper-end cocktail bars specializing in fine, hand-crafted drinks. (For more on this, see this fun NYTimes article from last month.)
You might well wonder what all the fuss is about. What could a nearly flavorless - and to many eyes, off-puttingly slimy - raw egg white possibly bring to a drink? The answer is texture and volume. Shaken thoroughly and briskly, egg whites will lend a wonderfully silky frothiness to a cocktail. Think soufflé. Think meringue. All fluffiness, airiness, and light.
Used in old standbys such as the Pisco Sour and the Pink Lady, as well as the Tom & Jerry and the Boston Flip (which also use the yolks), egg whites enjoy their most show-stoppingly spectacular moment in the classic New Orleans cocktail, the Ramos Gin Fizz.
Although we'd tried making this deliciously delicate floral cocktail at home before, it wasn't until a recent visit to The Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland (which we had heard raves about on Michael Ruhlman’s blog), that we finally saw it done right. The trick is to shake it. A lot. As in the full five minutes Mr. Ramos' original recipe specified (you should be able to stand a drinking straw up in the finished product). Later, we put this method to the test in our own kitchen, and sure enough, it worked!
Ramos Gin Fizz (adapted from Gary Regan, The Joy of Mixology)
makes two drinks
2 ounces gin
1 ounce cream (we used heavy whipping cream)
1 fresh egg white
3 drops orange flower water (we used 2 measures from the tiny plastic insert in the cap of the bottle)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
club soda or seltzer water (set aside for topping up the drink)
Combine all ingredients (except the seltzer) in a cocktail shaker over ice. Wrap the shaker in a tea towel and shake vigorously for five minutes (we took short breaks every minute - a two-person tag team would work well). Strain into a tall, narrow glass (such as a Collins glass or a champagne flute) and top up with a splash of seltzer. Garnish with an orange wheel, and serve with a straw - and an iced-tea spoon so you can relish every drop!
Related Links
The Celluloid Pantry: Ramos Gin Fizz and Dead Reckoning (1947)
Straight Up: DIY Simple Syrup
Safeeggs.com (While raw eggs are generally safe for consumption, they still carry a very small risk of contamination. For those with health concerns, Safeeggs.com supplies pasteurized eggs.)
Have you ever made or tried a cocktail with egg whites?
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Comments (11)
My husband has been on an egg white in drinks kick. Instead of seperating out the egg whites, he has been using Egg Beaters Egg Whites. They seem to work really well for him and they are pasturized.
I love a good gin fizz in the summer - really, really refreshing.
No joke on the shaking though - it's a workout. Maybe this is one drink where art's little Waring machine really makes sense?
not for me, thanks.
I love a good Ramos Fizz as well. My family and I sit and drink them in the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco every time we visit -- a few times each year. I like the rational I give myself: It's the only breakfast boozey cocktail I know with protein grams. It's HEALTH FOOD! :)
For years I have heard how wonderful a Pisco Sour is and I have always wanted to try one.
mmmm enteritidis!!!
my FAVORITE food poisoning!
Yes, I am a bit weird about eating raw eggs.
gross.
This was delicious. The orange water gave it a very light orange scent. It was like a gin creamsicle. YUM!
Just a note for those of you scared off by egg whites in cocktails. First off, only 1% of eggs actually contain Salmonella and those eggs contain such small amounts that, if properly refridgerated, they should still be able to be consumed by a healthy person without any trouble. Secondly, egg white is an alkali and does not readily support bacteria. Mostly what you have to worry about is the yolk. As long as you seperate it carfully and without breaking it your chances of getting sick are almost nil. Statistically you have a better chance of choking on a cooked egg and dying. Additionally most drinks that call for egg whites also use lemon and lime juices which add acid to the drink further killing any bacteria that might be present. And lets not forget, your adding it to alcohol! Bacteria can't live in 80 proof liquor people. The time the bacteria will be sitting in alcohol before you ever drink it will be about 50 times longer than the average person spends washing their hands before they eat! Also don't forget you can buy pasturized egg whites. They work plenty well.
On the Pisco Sour--I'm currently living in Chile and these are easy to come by in any bar, but they're also easy to make at home. Of course, it may be a bit tricky to track down the pisco, depending on where you live. But, to make them, it's just 1 part fresh lemon juice, 3 parts pisco, 3/4 part simple syrup, and a little bit of egg white (maybe one for a whole pitcher). Shake or blend it all together. Usually served with some bar sugar on the rim of the glass.